According to a report by the Evening Standard on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, following Manchester United's 4-1 Champions League loss to Como, Bruno Fernandes questioned Michael Carrick's tactical approach.

Carrick, in his inaugural season as the club's permanent head coach, has presided over a winless streak of seven games; the heavy loss has only added to the pressure. The Cesc Fabregas-managed Como team, with Nico Paz as their star player, put on a convincing display and won the match.

Carrick seemed to apologize to Manchester United's traveling fans in Italy for the disappointing performance by raising his hands to them.

United captain Fernandes shared his team's disappointment, criticizing their sluggish start, careless passing, and lack of offensive movement.

The Portuguese midfielder, who made an unusual second-half substitution, blamed United's shaky start and early goal for the team's inability to come back.

Especially when they had trouble keeping the ball and creating chances, he said, the players' mindsets were affected by the early setback, making it harder for them to react positively.

Fernandes raised concerns about United's pressing strategy, claiming that the players gave their opponents too much room to create attacks by avoiding man-to-man pressure.

United needed to push higher up the field and take more risks, the midfielder said, while admitting that the tactical decisions were Carrick's and the coaching staff's domain.

He used Como's defensive strategy—one of their center backs followed him into his own half to apply pressure—to illustrate United's lack of intensity.

According to Fernandes, in order to disrupt their opponents' passing patterns and make them feel uncomfortable, Manchester United needed to take a similar collective approach.

Additionally, United's captain cautioned that the defense could face additional challenges if they let teams with strong midfield combinations to operate without enough pressure.

Fernandes claims that the Como people made the most of their surroundings by making use of their mobility and passing connections to open up opportunities across large regions.

After the loss, Carrick's role has come under more scrutiny as fans voice their discontent with the team's performance and demand a management shakeup on social media.