Michael Carrick apologised to the fans and Bruno Fernandes questioned the manager’s tactics after Manchester United’s embarrassing 4-1 Champions League loss to Como on Thursday (AEDT).

Club great Carrick’s stocks soared last season after he improved United from sixth place to third in the Premier League after replacing Ruben Amorim, initially on an interim basis.

Michael Carrick of Manchester United reacts towards the fans. Getty Images

That impressive run earned Carrick a permanent two-year contract, but the knives are out again after a dismal performance against Cesc Fàbregas’ Italians.

Joshua Zirksee scored the hollowest of consolation goals in added time after Argentina gun Nico Paz carved the Red Devils up with two goals and an assist.

Carrick walked over to the 700 travelling United fans and raised his hands seven times to say sorry for the abject display.

In a season that kicked off with renewed hope, United are now 20th of 36 teams in the Champions League standings and 13th in the Premier League with just one win from seven games.

“I’m bitterly disappointed, I’m frustrated, more than frustrated, I’m really angry, to be honest,” Carrick said.

“You’ve got to deal with what’s next and see what that looks like. There’s a lot to do before that next game to get the team ready because that was a difficult night for everyone.

“I have to apologise to the supporters. I went over to them at the end because I care about this club as much as anyone, if not more. And for us to play in that way is not acceptable. Tonight was the total opposite of a performance, and it was tough to watch. There’s a lot going through my mind watching that.

“It’s difficult to understand… we can all have poor performances, but to do it in that manner is really not right at all.”

United set up in a 4-2-4 formation and influential captain Fernandes could not hide his frustrations.

“It’s a decision from the staff to not 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,” Fernandes said.

“It’s not the first time, we started on the wrong foot, and they scored very early. Not much pressure on the ball, not many good movements with the ball, not many things going our way.

Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United reacts after Nico Paz of Como scores. Getty Images

“Conceding early (Paz scored in the second minute) makes us go into games 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.”

Fernandes was then asked specifically whether he felt Carrick got his tactics wrong.

“That’s on the manager and staff to see, not me,” the Portugal star replied.

“Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable. As you saw with them (Como), the centre-back was coming to mark me in my own half. We need to do that as a team, but we were unable to.

“A team that plays through the middle with small connections, if you give them too much time and space, then they can hurt you out wide.”

Carrick then criticised United’s workrate and effort before being quizzed about his job security.

“It’s not about me right now and my feelings in that regard,” he said.

“I didn’t like what I have seen tonight though. I don’t take it personally. It’s everything’s wrapped around the club. What you do, your behaviour, how you perform, how you go about it and, more importantly, it is the responsibility of representing this club.

“It wasn’t just the goals. It was the manner and the way we played at times, in the way we went about it, that was the difficult thing to watch.”

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich and Arsenal played out a 2-2 draw in the day’s glamour fixture, with Declan Rice scoring the equaliser in the 82nd minute.

Aston Villa were 3-1 winners over Viking FC and Real Madrid outclassed RB Leipzig 4-1.

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