Man United coach Carrick sorry to fans for ‘unacceptable’ UCL loss at Como

• ESPN News Services

Oct 21, 2026, 03:39 PM ET Open Extended Reactions

Manchester United‘s struggling start to the season hit a new low on Wednesday with a 4-1 thrashing at Italian upstarts Como in the Champions League, piling further pressure on coach Michael Carrick.

The under-fire United coach had said that Sunday’s purposeful point at rivals Leeds marked a “fresh start” after Lisandro Martínez highlighted the club’s shortcomings in a set of stunning interviews last week.

But, looking to end a run of six games without a win, Carrick’s side got off to the worst possible start in the idyllic surroundings on the shores of Lake Como when Nico Paz scored inside two minutes. The goal meant that United became the first English club in Champions League history to concede a goal in the first two minutes in back-to-back matches, following last week’s loss to Atlético Madrid.

Further goals from Anastasios Douvikas, Paz again and Jacobo Ramón in the second half had the three-time winners set to match their worst-ever loss in the history of Europe’s premier competition before Joshua Zirkzee grabbed a consolation goal in stoppage time.

It is still just the sixth loss by three-plus goals in Manchester United’s Champions League history and the first since April 2019 against Barcelona in the quarterfinals.

“It was more than disappointing,” Carrick told TNT Sports. “I think everybody has got to take responsibility for that. I 100% take responsibility for the overall team and the performance — that’s where it stops. It stops with me, and I’m absolutely fine with that. I accept that totally.

“But as a supporter of this football club for so long, and I care a lot about this football club, to see a performance like that is unacceptable, I have to say.”

Manchester United coach Michael Carrick apologized to the club’s fans after Wednesday’s loss at Como. PIERO CRUCIATTI / AFP via Getty Images

United were already in turmoil, with Martinez last week calling out the club’s hierarchy over its offseason recruitment, with director of football Jason Wilcox the apparent target of his criticism.

In January, Ruben Amorim had a fallout with Wilcox that swiftly led to the manager being fired after just 14 months in the job.

Now Carrick appears at risk.

“It’s not about me,” Carrick said when asked about his future. “It’s about digesting the game and how it went. That’s the most important thing right now.”

Following last week’s 2-0 loss at Atlético, it is just the third time Man United has lost back-to-back Champions League games by multiple goals and the first time since 2003.

Carrick, who spent 12 years as a player at United and helped the club win its most recent Champions League title in 2008, went over and held his hands up in apology to the traveling Man United fans at fulltime.

“I care an unbelievable amount about the supporters,” he said. “They are the heartbeat of this football club and they always will be. For them to travel, I’ve got to apologize for the performance.

“Everything that they’ve done to get here tonight, to have to watch a performance like that, I totally feel for them. There are no excuses at all. It’s just not acceptable.”

In contrast to Man United’s rich pedigree in the competition, Como, coached by former Arsenal and Barcelona great Cesc Fabregas, are taking part in a European competition for the first time in their 119-year history.

Wednesday’s victory meant Como become the first Italian club to win their first two home games in the Champions League since Lazio in 1999-2000.

Paz has been auditioning to take over Lionel Messi‘s playmaker spot with Argentina and his performance against United was a case in point.

At the tiny 10,000-seat Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium, Paz put Como ahead with a curling shot from the edge of the area when Harry Maguire allowed him some space.

Douvikas then took a pass from Paz before lobbing in over goalkeeper Senne Lammens for his third goal in three Champions League matches.

For Como’s third, Paz went in virtually uncontested before shooting around Lammens. Center back Jacobo Ramón scored Como’s fourth.

Despite Zirkzee’s late goal off the bench, United have won only one of their last 11 Champions League away matches.

Como moved up to sixth in the standings, while United dropped to 20th.

Information from ESPN Research, The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.

Source: www.espn.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.