A crushing 4-1 defeat to Como has laid bare the depths of Manchester United's crisis. Under Michael Carrick's stewardship, the team appeared utterly powerless against the Italian outfit, with experts and fans alike increasingly calling for a managerial change.
From kick-off, the Red Devils showcased catastrophic weaknesses in their defence. A splendid strike from Nico Pass into the far corner highlighted just how easily the opposition forged chances against the English side. Commentator Adam Summerton noted during the broadcast that the midfielder should have been met with much tighter marking. Observing Harry Maguire standing just five metres away from the man shooting, one struggled to grasp the professional level of play on display so close to their own box.
Prior to the match, after a victory against Leeds, Maguire had urged his teammates to 'be a bit braver on the ball'. The defender asserted:
We’re in a situation where we’re not as brave as we need to be, and we have to get that back because to win matches for Manchester United, we need that bravery and composure.
However, in reality, the players failed to heed their captain's call, with the team's display more reminiscent of eleven Cesc Fabregases against eleven Harry Maguires.
Michael Carrick attempted to rectify the situation at half-time, substituting Mateus Cunha and Andrei Santos, but the tactical changes proved futile. Moreover, team captain Bruno Fernandes had a shocking game, misplacing passes, losing control of the ball, and frequently blaming those around him for his own failures, reminiscent of fading stars at the twilight of their careers. Carlos Baleba, who came on at the break, only managed to register rough fouls and a catastrophic loss of possession that allowed Nico Pass to dismantle the defence and extend the lead to a calamitous 3-0.
The return of Matthijs de Ligt after a lengthy injury lay-off also ended in disappointment. An episode in which Anastasios Douvikas capitalised on a Pass assist to score, all while going unchecked by the Dutch defender, drew an ironic comment from Glenn Hoddle:
Bloody hell.
It is clear that Michael Carrick is not the sole reason for the club’s troubles, and a hefty share of the blame is justifiably directed at Jason Wilcox, the hierarchy, and the Glazer family along with Jim Ratcliffe. However, continuing in the same vein following such an embarrassing debacle becomes virtually impossible. As Glenn Hoddle astutely summarised with the scoreline at 4-0:
It's men against boys.
Ironically, Manchester United, once the team known for decimating opponents in such a fashion, has now become the boys themselves.
