Manchester United were defeated convincingly 4-1 by a well coached and well motivated Como on Wednesday and, minutes after, Michael Carrick and Bruno Fernandes had both had their say on the record as to why. United were a goal down within two minutes, which created visible doubt in the reds side. There was a real confusion that set in early and snowballed into the worst defeat under Michael Carrick. Bruno Fernandes was clearly disappointed, not only for the loss but for being substituted in the 67th minute. Most of the pundits since have weighed in on this potentially sackable defeat and run of results for Carrick. Some pundits have picked a side, some blast the team, some the manager and some both plus the ownership. Not all of them are arguing about the same thing and no-one seems to fully agree on where to park how much of the blame. Lack of answers hasn’t stopped many having their say on what or who could turn things around for United as the club spirals further into crisis.
After a seven-match winless run and a week of reports about who might replace Carrick, we’ve gathered a list of just some of the outlets and managerial candidates named. We’ve tried to categorise these claims based on merit and the types of reporting.
| Carrick (head coach) | Fernandes (captain, to TNT Sports) |
|---|---|
| United half-pressed man-to-man in the second half and conceded from it; a side that doesn't run forward and back won't win. [4][5][6] | Not pressing man-to-man was "a decision from the staff", which left space behind; whether the tactics were wrong is for the manager and staff to judge. [3][4][7] |
| Confirmed (paraphrased; exact wording varies by outlet) | Confirmed (direct quote) |
What has been confirmed?
- Como won 4-1: Nico Paz (2', 57'), Tasos Douvikas (49') and Jacobo Ramon (76'); Joshua Zirkzee (90+1') for United. Confirmed [1]
- Seventh match without a win in all competitions; the last win was 4-0 v Sabah on 10 September. Confirmed [1][9]
- Carrick called the performance unacceptable and apologised on the club’s own site, said “it stops with me”, and walked to the away end alone to apologise in person. Confirmed [2][3][8]
- Seven teenagers with no Champions League experience were on the bench, nine players were injured, and Matthijs de Ligt played for the first time in 325 days. Confirmed [8]
Reported, not confirmed by the club: Carrick is expected to take charge of Sunday’s home game against Bournemouth [19][20], and reports differ on whether Fernandes will be punished (see the disagree-on-fact table) [19][26][27]. Reported
Manchester United's injury list for their game against Como 🤕 https://t.co/rISKAeKyCH
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 21, 2026
Manchester United fans have had enough and are not sticking around for the end of their game. Michael Carrick's side are 4-0 down to Como after 77 minutes. https://t.co/0lDoaTgdGH
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) October 21, 2026
Who is saying what?
| Who | Where they put it | Label | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Carragher, CBS Sports | Effort and Fernandes himself: called his comments "a disgrace" and said the manager "needs to be changed now". | Attributed | [9][10] |
| Wayne Rooney, on The United Stand | Effort first ("disbelief" at the lack of basics), then structure: a back four that won't chase, midfielders without the legs, forwards pressing as individuals. Says the board must decide on Carrick and clarify, and that he should "come out fighting" if he stays. | Attributed (auto-captions, check against video) | [18] |
| Joe Cole, TNT Sports | Structure above the manager: Carrick "is not the problem"; asks when the criticism reaches the director of football. | Attributed | [17] |
| Peter Schmeichel, CBS Sports | Selection and readiness: de Ligt hadn't played since last November; Mazraoui's positioning for the second goal "simply not good enough". | Attributed (relayed) | [15] |
| Mark Goldbridge, The United Stand | Ownership and board: Carrick should go now, Fernandes is defended, and he predicts the club will keep Carrick anyway. | Opinion (fan channel) | [16][18] |
Tomorrow's @SunSport back page: COMOTOSE Bruno Fernandes blasted the tactics of Michael Carrick and his staff after Manchester United’s Champions League nightmare | @samuelluckhurst https://t.co/zx3DyDlZ6R
— Sun Sport (@SunSport) October 21, 2026
When the away fans are leaving early, you know this football club is completely broken. https://t.co/no9ejj45qk
— United Peoples TV (@unitedpeoplestv) October 21, 2026
Where sources agree — and disagree
Agree. The BBC, Guardian, Athletic, ESPN, Daily Mail and MEN all carry Carrick’s apology and Fernandes’s “staff” line in near-identical substance [3][5][6][7]. Nobody defends the performance, and Carragher’s attack on Fernandes and Rooney’s comments are both partly agreement with Carrick that United didn’t run [9][18]. On the succession reports, talkSPORT and the Telegraph both say Carrick has not been sacked, make every name conditional on a sacking, and treat Bournemouth as the next test [19][20].
Disagree on cause. The same defeat gets four different explanations:
| Cause | Who | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Effort | Carrick; Carragher; Rooney (in part) | [4][9][18] |
| The plan and pressing | Fernandes; the Telegraph, citing unnamed sources, says frustration at the tactics and the lack of pressing is growing, and that club analysts have flagged it | [3][4][20] |
| Selection and readiness | Schmeichel | [15] |
| Squad and structure above the manager | Rooney (in part); Cole; Goldbridge (owners) | [17][18][16] |
Disagree on fact. Four points are unresolved:
| Point | One version | Another version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winless run | Seven (Sky, BBC, Guardian, ESPN, MEN, Athletic, Telegraph; talkSPORT adds four defeats and three 1-1 draws) [1][3][5][6][19][20] | Eight (Daily Mail column) [8] | Seven has the weight of sources; the Daily Mail column is the outlier. We haven't compiled results ourselves |
| Cunha and Carrick | "Relatively robust" exchange away from the cameras (The Sun's Samuel Luckhurst, relayed by Express/AOL) [13] | Heated words with Carrick and Fernandes (MEN player ratings) [11] | Unclear if the same moment; Cunha was off at half-time [8] |
| Como at 4-0 | Fàbregas says he told his players to slow down and regrets it, because it let United back in [9] | Rooney says Como's midfield stayed front-footed and pressed straight away from a free kick at 4-0 [18] | May be different moments; Rooney's account is from auto-captions |
| Fernandes and discipline | United do not plan to punish him (talkSPORT, unnamed sources) [19] | His comments will be assessed before any decision on further action (ESPN, sources); the hierarchy is reviewing whether disciplinary action is needed (Goal) [26][27] | Unresolved; nothing from the club |
❌ 1-0 vs Manchester City (🟥) ❌ 3-2 vs Brighton 🤝 1-1 vs Fulham 🤝 1-1 vs Tottenham (🟥) ❌ 2-0 vs Atlético Madrid (🟥) 🤝 1-1 vs Leeds United ❌ 4-1 vs Como 📉 4 defeats,3 draws and ZERO wins. Something has to change 🔴 #MUFC
— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) October 21, 2026
Carrick’s future: who is reported, by whom, and where they conflict. The club has confirmed none of this, and every report is conditional (“if Carrick is sacked”). All rest on unnamed sources.
| Candidate | What is reported | Outlet | Where it conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Nagelsmann | Already "sounded out" over his interest (talkSPORT); would listen to an approach and is expected to be a leading candidate (Telegraph). Recruitment director Christopher Vivell's pick, though Vivell isn't expected to make the final call | talkSPORT (Alex Crook) [19]; Telegraph (Jason Burt, Matt Law) [20]; talkSPORT relayed by SPORTbible [14] | "Sounded out" says an approach was made; "would listen" says only that he'd be receptive |
| Eddie Howe | Director Jason Wilcox is "leaning towards" him (talkSPORT); admired by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, but the club "may move in a different direction" (Telegraph); bookmakers' favourite but wants the right fit and influence over recruitment (the i) | [19][20][23] | talkSPORT makes him the leader; the Telegraph is more cautious |
| Antonio Conte | His representatives have lobbied or put him forward (Telegraph, talkSPORT; MEN says intermediaries contacted United); the i says he is keen; La Repubblica, via BBC, says United have "opened talks" | [12][19][20][23][25] | Telegraph and talkSPORT say he is unlikely to be chosen. The Repubblica line says United made the contact; the others say his side did. Repubblica's original not opened |
| Fabian Hürzeler | No release clause in a contract to 2029, so a record fee, and "no certainty" he'd be interested (Telegraph); would not leave Brighton "at this time" (talkSPORT); "really appreciated" by a United figure (Romano, relayed by MEN) | [21][22][12] | Telegraph says uncertain; talkSPORT says not interested. Both agree he would be expensive |
| Unai Emery | Fits Wilcox's criteria but expensive and would need convincing (talkSPORT); "absolutely committed" to Villa, per sources close to him (the i) | [19][20][23] | Wanted, but all three say hard to get |
| Named once | Kieran McKenna (the i); Cesc Fàbregas and Simone Inzaghi (talkSPORT) | [22][23] | Single-outlet mentions |
Who wants whom. talkSPORT and the Telegraph both place Nagelsmann with Vivell and a Premier League-experienced coach with Wilcox, who talkSPORT says carries more weight with Ratcliffe and the Glazers [19][20]. FootballTransfers, relaying a Daily Mail report that we haven’t opened, says Wilcox and Vivell disagree and calls it alleged [24].
What remains unknown. Whether any approach has been made to anyone, and by which side; whether the Cunha incident was one moment or two; and whether Carrick and Fernandes have settled it privately. A club statement, a named source on any of the succession claims, or Carrick being asked directly at his next press conference would settle most of it.
The United Roundup view
Opinion.
Overview
The player/manager rift has been handy for anyone who would rather not examine the deeper issues at Manchester United. Beyond the Glazers leverage buy-out of the club and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, an owner that can only spend 90 days a year in the UK, the Man City connections of Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox and a fanbase that is angry and tired in equal measure, United are underperforming consistently on the pitch. On Wednesday they were a side with nine players out, seven teenagers on the bench and a centre-back on his first appearance in 325 days was always going to look a long way from a pressing team, whoever drew up the plan.
The Game
United lost heavily. After we went a goal down, it never really looked as if we were going to get hold of the game. Supporters are entitled to ask what the tactical plan was. Carrick’s “half-pressing” comment for me is hard to swallow and Bruno’s actions in the game saw him actively attempt to press at times but ultimately wasn’t backed up by his team mates. Then his comments on top of that tell me he wasn’t happy with the instructions and tried to take things into his own hands during the game.
Interestingly, Roy Keane made a comment on an episode of the Stick to Football podcast where Ian Wright was defending Bruno and Keane was having none of it, he went on to explain, angrily, that he sees players (Bruno included) simulating pressing or pretending to press, where they would run towards an opposition player but not get to him in time, then back off as if to say “well, I’ve done my bit”. I’m inclined to agree with Keane on this. There seemed to be a lot of that going on against Como. And in previous games this season.
On the flip-side, there were moments where individuals did pressure the ball but there was a clear disconnect among the United players which meant that when they did, there was always a Como player in acres of space to hand it off to, and that’s not to take away from Como, their movement with and without the ball was far superior to United’s. They exposed us in all areas of the pitch and passed the ball around with ease compared to United, who could barely keep hold of the ball, let alone string passes together. Whether Carrick’s men were asked to press but didn’t know when or they had clear instructions but were out-played is up for debate. How much of the confusion and desperation came from conceding so early…again, and how much was poor coaching and tactical preparation we can only speculate. But once it set in, it spiralled out of control and United never looked like they were going to beat the home side, who had the bit between their teeth. Como saw blood and went for the kill.
After taking this absolute mauling, the coach and the captain gave different reasons and excuses as to why, both on the record. Nobody has shown that they can’t both be partly correct, mind. Whether you feel that Bruno was being selfish and throwing the manager under the bus, or whether you think he was just venting his frustration after an embarrassing and abysmal personal and team performance - most agree that, similar to the Martinez outburst in Madrid, that a post match interview is not the time or place to question the coaching staff and managers’ instructions. Fernandes saying his piece in public and then Carrick answering publicly made it a two-way argument.
What can’t be claimed as fact is that Carrick has lost the dressing room, but we can assume that there would’ve been some robust conversations going on in the debriefs and over the following days. But United have another game on Sunday so they can’t afford to dwell on it for too long. My hope is that there are clear plans and constructive training sessions this week. What else isn’t certain is whether the club has chosen a replacement or how under way the arrangements for Carrick’s successor are. Five outlets have named candidates this week, none with a named source, and they disagree on who United have approached, who wants whom and whether the most-mentioned names can be had at all. Bournemouth on Sunday won’t settle any of it, but a visible pressing plan would tell us more than another round of quotes.