Manchester United are still searching for a way out of their dismal run after losing 4-1 to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday. Captain Bruno Fernandes said the team failed to apply enough pressure and slipped into a "losing mindset" immediately after conceding early, adding further pressure on manager Michael Carrick.
Como took the lead inside two minutes and United collapsed from there. Joshua Zirkzee's stoppage-time goal was merely a consolation, doing little to soften the scoreline in a match where the visitors were comprehensively outplayed.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Fernandes said: "We started badly and they scored very early. There wasn't enough pressure on the ball and not enough good movement off the ball. There were a lot of things that didn't go the way we wanted."
The United captain also questioned the approach to the game: "That's a decision for the coaching staff when we don't press man-to-man, sometimes leaving space behind and trying to win the ball, waiting for the opponent, but sometimes when you give space to teams like this, they gain confidence."
Asked whether his comments amounted to criticism of Carrick's tactics, Fernandes replied: "That's for the manager and the coaching staff to look at, not me. Sometimes you have to be braver under pressure, accept the risk of pressing high and make life difficult for the opponent."
Carrick is under growing pressure as United have now gone seven matches without a win. The 45-year-old admitted: "It's more than disappointing. I think everyone has to take responsibility for that. I'll take responsibility for the team and the performance; every mistake is mine, and I accept that. But as a fan of this club, I have to say that watching a performance like that is unacceptable."
Carrick said his side failed to show the required intensity: "It's the drive, the purpose and the intensity of a football match that you have to bring. Today we didn't do that. I have to apologise for this performance."
Fernandes also questioned United's mentality after the early goal: "Conceding early put us into the game with a losing mindset."
United currently have three points from their first three Champions League matches. Next up, they host AS Roma at home.
