Daijiworld Media Network - Manchester

Manchester, Oct 22: Manchester United’s poor run of form continued as they suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against Italian side Como in their group-stage clash on October 22, with Nico Paz scoring twice.

The defeat has intensified scrutiny of manager Michael Carrick, whose side has struggled to deliver consistent performances across competitions.

Following the loss, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes appeared to question the team’s tactical approach, pointing to the decision not to press opponents man-to-man.

“It's a decision from the staff not to press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, wait for them, but sometimes when you give space to these teams they get confidence. That's on the manager and staff to say, not me,” Fernandes said after the match.

He added that the team needed to be braver under pressure and take greater risks by pressing high to make opponents uncomfortable. Fernandes cited Como’s centre-back following him into his own half as an example of the opposition’s pressing approach, saying Manchester United had been unable to replicate it as a team.

Fernandes also called on his teammates to show greater courage if they hoped to improve their performances. He said conceding early goals affected the team’s confidence and made it difficult to recover during matches.

“Conceding early makes us go into the game with a mood of defeat; it's difficult to get out of that, trying to be brave, to have the ball and make something happen. If we are not able to do that, it is going to be very difficult to get out of this situation,” he said.