Seven games without a win is concerning enough, but the fallout from Manchester United's latest Champions League defeat suggests the problems may run deeper than results.

Following a shock 4-1 defeat to Como overnight, captain Bruno Fernandes turned the attention from the performance on the pitch to the decisions made on the sidelines, questioning the coaching staff's tactical approach.

Asked by TNT Sports about United's lack of cohesion out of possession, Fernandes defended his teammates and pointed to the decision from Michael Carrick and his coaching staff not to press Como man-to-man.

"It's a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave a little space in behind and try to get the ball in the first moment, to wait for them, to give them the ball," he said.

It was an approach Como took full advantage of, completing 594 passes, the most by a team in a Champions League game against Manchester United since Barcelona recorded 725 in April 2019.

"But sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confident, they have so many bodies behind the ball that make you run a lot, make people get frustrated, and then obviously when you recover the ball the legs are, and the brain, much more difficult to make it work."

When asked whether the tactical approach ultimately cost United in Como, Fernandes left the question for those above him.

"That's on the manager and on the staff to see it, it's not on me," said Fernandes.

But this is not the first time a United player has publicly pointed to problems within the club following a Champions League defeat.

After losing to Atletico Madrid in their previous European outing, Lisandro Martinez hit out at the club's hierarchy and called for more from technical director Jason Wilcox following the transfer window.

"We expect more from the top, from upstairs, to bring in more players to compete," Martinez told Amazon Prime.

"I expect more from our technical director."

This time, however, Carrick was quick to respond when Fernandes' comments were put to him in his post-match press conference.

"We half pressed man-to-man in the second half and ended up conceding a goal from that," he said. "Whatever tactics you play, if you don't run back, you ain't going to win."

It was a pointed response to his captain, but Carrick's frustration appeared to extend beyond Fernandes' comments and towards the wider performance of his players.

Usually measured in front of the media, the United boss made no attempt to hide his emotion as he questioned the manner of the defeat.

"I'm really angry," he said. "For us to play in that way is not acceptable."

"It wasn't just the goals. It was the manner we went about that was the difficult thing to watch. It's not about me right now. The results can come and go, but you've got to do it in a certain way. That wasn't it."

For a side already struggling for results, the post-match comments only raised further questions about what is going wrong inside the club. And Carrick is quickly finding himself at the centre of them. After initially taking charge on an interim basis in January, the former United midfielder was handed the job permanently on a two-year deal in May.

Yet just months into his first full season in charge, calls for another change in the dugout have already begun, with potential replacements being discussed as United's poor start continues.

It made the questions that followed particularly significant. Asked whether he felt the squad was still playing for him, Carrick shifted the focus back onto what it means to represent Manchester United.

"It shouldn't be me, it's not about playing for me, it's about playing for this football club. It's the responsibility that comes with."

"Whether I'm in the position, I'm responsible for the football club and the supporters, I'm giving my best, absolute best, all the time, care about it, my whole life is wrapped around it."

When pushed on whether his players cared as much as he did, his response did little to settle those questions.

"I would like to think so, I didn't like what I saw tonight though."

Carrick's position may only be months old, but the pressure surrounding it is already mounting.

United have now suffered two defeats from their opening three Champions League games and won just two of their 11 matches this season, while their winless run across all competitions stands at seven.

It is United's longest winless run since an eight-game stretch between November and December 2015, leaving little room for the pressure to ease.

United return to Old Trafford to face Bournemouth on Sunday, where it remains to be seen whether they can get on the same page, or whether the growing unrest within the club will only deepen their problems.

zoe malliaris
zoe malliaris
Zoe Malliaris is a sports journalist who also works as a radio producer at 3AW, with experience across digital, broadcast and social media. She covers the latest news and talking points across the sporting world, with a particular love for AFL.
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