Man United Como: Carrick Calls 4-1 Rout Unacceptable

Man United Como was supposed to be a routine night in Europe. It turned into one of the most humiliating Champions League results in recent Old Trafford memory, a 4-1 thrashing in northern Italy that has pushed manager Michael Carrick into the hot seat. Como, playing just its third Champions League match ever, ran rings around a side with decades of European pedigree.

Two minutes, and the night was gone

Nico Paz curled a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Senne Lammens inside two minutes at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, set up by Lucas da Cunha. According to RTHK and AFP, that made United the first English team ever to concede in the opening two minutes of two consecutive major European matches, after going a goal down one minute into last week's 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid.

Sky Sports noted that Harry Maguire backed off Paz before the strike, while the Argentine was surrounded by four United players. It was the kind of defending that makes a group chat explode.

Como ran away with it

Como's own club report describes how a sharp move between Da Cunha, Baturina and Paz ended with a through ball to Tasos Douvikas, who beat Lammens one-on-one in the forty-ninth minute. Eight minutes later Paz added his second after dispossessing his marker on the wing and driving forward to finish.

Jacobo Ramon headed in a fourth in the seventy-sixth minute, and Lammens had to stop Paz from completing a hat-trick. Substitute Joshua Zirkzee grabbed a stoppage-time consolation that changed nothing. BBC Sport described Paz, signed from Real Madrid in 2024, as the heart of Cesc Fabregas' side.

Carrick: "unacceptable"

Carrick did not hide from it. "For us to play in that way, it's not acceptable," he said, adding that it "wasn't a good performance at all" and that the energy shown in a recent 1-1 draw at Leeds was missing. Describing the night, he said: "It was tough to watch."

He also insisted he was not worried about his job. "I have not given my own position any thought," Carrick said, as reported by RTHK. He explained that walking over to apologise to the travelling fans was routine rather than a sign of anything bigger.

A season sliding the wrong way

The result stretched United's winless run to seven matches in all competitions and was its fifth defeat of the season. Reports describe the club's worst start to a league campaign in forty years. Sportstar noted the scrutiny is intense just months after Carrick signed a two-year contract.

There was also friction on the pitch. Sky Sports reported that Carrick and captain Bruno Fernandes appeared to clash over tactics during the defeat, a detail that will fuel the debate about whether the dressing room is still listening.

Fabregas and Como enjoy the moment

For Como, this was a statement. Former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Fabregas has built a young, fluid side that is now second-guessing nobody. The Independent reported that Fabregas even admitted telling his players to slow down once they led four-nil, and regretted easing off.

The club sits with six points from three games, while United has only three. For a team that once expected to cruise through this stage, the gap in energy and ideas was the real story. Catch more matchday drama on our sports page.

Why this one stings

According to The Guardian, Como demolished a dismal United, and the numbers back it up. Como's starting eleven had a combined sixty-two Champions League appearances before kickoff, while United's lineup had two hundred forty-two, per Opta Analyst. Experience counted for nothing against a side that pressed, passed and believed.

The Man United Como scoreline also arrives with a harsh pattern: two European games, two goals conceded inside two minutes. Fans can forgive losing to a great team, but not looking like they had not shown up. Check ESPN's report for the full breakdown.

What happens next

United now face a tough run of fixtures with a manager whose authority is being questioned in public. Nobody at the club has announced any change, and Carrick says his focus is on fixing the intensity. Whether the board shares that patience is the question hanging over Old Trafford.

For now, the Man United Como match will be remembered for a debutant's confidence and a giant's collapse. Fans on both sides will be watching to see if the next result tells a different story.