Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes appeared to question the team's tactical approach after Wednesday's 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como. "We started off on the wrong foot," the Portuguese said. "They scored very early, [we had] not much pressure on the ball."
Fernandes pointed to a staff decision not to press man-to-man, leaving space behind to win the ball in the first moment. Since Michael Carrick became United manager in January, the side has largely defended in a zonal 4-2-4 or 4-4-2 shape that springs into a press in moments. Holding a deeper 4-2-4 allows opposition defenders time and space on the ball, with United looking to set traps before pouncing. The approach worked well at times last season, as when Bryan Mbeumo scored in United's 3-2 win at Arsenal in January.
The same approach has been less effective this season. After the 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid, defender Lisandro Martinez said, "You can't stay with what you did last season." The 4-2-4 shape caught teams off guard last season, but opponents have since adapted. Arsenal's Mikel Arteta found clever overloads around Manchester City's 4-2-4 in wide areas, and Enzo Maresca later moved City toward a more man-to-man style.
Fernandes's comments may reflect a push for that change, with signs of weakness visible as early as pre-season. Ruben Amorim's AC Milan repeatedly found joy playing around the 4-2-4, with a back five that outnumbered United's front four.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing