Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has declined to judge whether the team’s tactics were wrong in their Champions League match against Como which resulted in a 4-1 loss, insisting that responsibility for such decisions rests with manager Michael Carrick and his coaching staff.
Speaking after the match, Fernandes explained that United’s approach of not pressing opponents man-to-man sometimes allows the opposition to find space and play through their defensive structure.
He said the coaching staff must assess whether their tactical decisions were effective, rather than leaving players to make that judgment publicly.
“That’s a decision from the staff, to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball,” Fernandes said.
“That’s for the coach and his staff to judge, not me.”
The Portuguese midfielder also suggested that United could sometimes benefit from showing greater courage by pressing higher up the pitch and putting opponents under more pressure.
“Sometimes you need to show more courage, take the risk of pressing high and disrupting the opposition,” he said.
