Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and head coach Michael Carrick disagreed over the team's tactics in the 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como. Fernandes said United gave Como too much time and space in possession and blamed the staff's decision not to press man to man.
Fernandes is not wrong to say United gave Como a lot of space. Como completed 600 passes, more than any other team in a game against United this season. The three games in which opponents completed the most passes against United came in the last three matches, against Como, Atletico Madrid and Leeds. This coincided with Carrick's attempts to make the side more compact and solid defensively. United, on a seven-match winless run, have not won any of those games, though there were signs of improved defensive shape at Leeds and Atletico Madrid.
There was no such solidity in Italy, but Como's chances did not come after long passing sequences. The most passes leading to a Como shot was 13, culminating in their fourth goal. Fernandes's claim that Como showed United how to press is also undermined by the numbers: Como won the ball back in the attacking third five times compared to United's four.
Fernandes also argued that United were tired from sitting off Como and chasing the ball, which led to mistakes. However, Como's first two goals, the most crucial in terms of momentum, came within five minutes of kick-off and of the second half, suggesting that Fernandes's conclusion is flawed. United's backline sat deep for the opener, which came inside two minutes, while midfielders were slow to track back.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing