Bruno Fernandes criticised Manchester United’s tactics in the 4-1 Champions League humiliation by Como, but he was arguably one of their biggest problems.
Another week, another crisis for Manchester United.
This time last week it was comments from Lisandro Martínez dominating headlines; now the United captain, Nico Paz.
It’s been a bad start to the 2026-27 season for United, but this was a new low and cranked up the pressure on Carrick even before Fernandes added fuel to the fire.
Fernandes isn’t usually shy about giving his opinion, though this took honest post-match interviews to a level not seen from a United player since… well, Martínez last week, to be fair. This time it was Carrick in the crosshairs, however, not the club’s deeply unpopular hierarchy.
His frustration boiling to the surface, Fernandes told TNT Sports: “It’s a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, but sometimes when you give too much [of] the ball to these teams they get confidence.”
Fernandes was then asked if Carrick got his tactics wrong, to which the skipper replied: “That’s on the manager and staff to see it, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.”
Carrick’s response was brief but he did point out that “we half pressed man-to-man in the second half and ended up conceding a goal from that.”
Fernandes’ obvious frustration at United’s pressing won’t have been much of a surprise to many who watched the game. He could be frequently seen haring after or towards Como’s defenders or goalkeeper, no doubt believing his bursts of urgency were valiant and setting an example.
Except, he’d soon turn around and realise he was by himself in applying the pressure. The realisation would be followed by him chucking his arms up, barking at teammates or throwing his head back in exasperation; not that it stopped him.
Look at the example below from the 13th minute. Fernandes is closing down Jacobo Ramón, but he’s the only United player seriously applying pressure, and so Cesc Fabregas’ team comfortably play their way out. United’s irritated captain can then be seen gesturing to his teammates.
Again, a few minutes later, he chases after Ramón, but there’s little secondary pressure on his passing options. So, within a matter of seconds, Como have managed to alleviate any danger and Fernandes trudges back into position with his head down having seemingly exhausted himself with an ultimately needless burst.
Similar occurred not long after. He essentially led a one-man press to the left-sided centre-back and goalkeeper, who just passed around him. This time he throws his head back when the goalkeeper returns a pass to his centre-back, presumably in a show of both annoyance and exhaustion.
Fernandes’ work rate can’t be faulted. Rarely can he be accused of not putting a shift in and Wednesday’s game was no different. But does working hard always mean working smartly?
It can’t be said that United didn’t press Como. Their 443 high-intensity pressures and 227 high-intensity pressures in the opposition’s half were both the second most of any team in a Champions League game this term.
Furthermore, 51.7% of Como’s passes were played under high pressure, the 13th most (out of 108) by a team in a single UCL match in 2026-27.
But United’s lack of linked-up thinking made their efforts largely pointless. And that brings us back to Fernandes.
He led United players for pressures applied (99), pressures applied in the final third (41) and pressures applied in the opposition’s half (70). In fact, in the latter two metrics, he tallied 12 and 15 more, respectively, than any of his teammates despite being substituted in the 67th minute.
To some, those numbers will vindicate Fernandes and prove he was right; another perspective is that it points to him as the problem on this occasion.
The comments from both Fernandes and Carrick suggest it wasn’t United’s intention to press aggressively man to man – not in the first half, at least.
Knowing Como are an extremely competent ball-playing team, it may well have been Carrick’s desire to sit back in a slightly more compact shape and look for gaps to exploit in transition.
There is also an argument, of course, that Fernandes had a point in his criticism. United could have been braver in practically every aspect of their game, including pressing. Maybe there should have been more aggression.
But this all misses the point. It would seem Fernandes was acting of his own volition.
He clearly disagreed with the coaching staff’s decisions so took it upon himself to break ranks on the pitch and then throw the beleaguered coach under the bus at full-time. Is this really the conduct of a captain?
Como had 63.8% of the ball in the first half – what hope did Fernandes have of really making an impact pressing by himself? Could he not have taken the cue from the rest of the team that actually his individual forays deep into enemy territory might have been a waste and therefore adjusted to meet the mentality of the team?
More often than not, Fernandes’ heart has been in the right place at United. But this time he might’ve been wiser to take a look in the mirror before sending United tumbling deeper into crisis by publicly outing the coach who brought him back to his best last season.
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