Michael Carrick faces axe as Man United crumble against Como

Manchester United suffered a 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League on 21 October 2026 at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, a result that could end Michael Carrick's tenure as manager. The loss left United languishing in 20th place with three points while the Italian side climbed to sixth with six.

First half collapse

Como opened the scoring after just two minutes when Nico Paz curled a beautiful effort into the net. Man United managed to pull a goal back before the interval, but the rain‑soaked evening in northern Italy saw the Red Devils struggle to create chances. Getty photographs showed the midfield being overrun as United offered next‑to‑nothing forward.

Second‑half onslaught

The second half erupted when Anastasios Douvikas struck four minutes after the restart, doubling Como's lead. Nico Paz added a second at the 12th minute of the period, followed by Jacobo Ramón heading home at the 31st minute, while Kaiki Bruno supplied the assist for the latter. Joshua Zirkzee capped United's misery with a stoppage‑time goal in the 46th minute of the second half.

Aftermath and future outlook

chief Alex Crook argued that the club will wield the axe on Carrick, stating on commentary: “I’m not sure Carrick’s going to survive this. 4‑0.” This remark underscored the growing pressure on the former Red Devils midfielder turned manager.

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Former Premier League player Scott Minto added that there was “nothing positive to take from this, nothing,” describing United as poor with and without the ball. He concluded that “it’s a nail in the coffin for Carrick, I feel for him.”

The victory represents the biggest result in Como’s history, and the club is sometimes abbreviated as Com, while the uppercase form COMO appears in official UEFA documents. The win moved Como to sixth place with six points, and United slipped to 20th with three points, marking United’s first seven‑match winless run since 2015.

MANCHESTER United have won only one of seven league matches, sitting 13th in the table, and UNITED were eliminated from the Carabao Cup after a 3‑2 loss to Brighton despite leading 2‑0. Defender Lisandro Martinez criticised sporting director Jason Wilcox over a lack of summer investment after the recent defeat to Atletico Madrid, though he later confirmed positive talks with the club. After nine months in charge, Carrick may soon return to the coaching drawing board.

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United’s next challenge is a home league clash against Bournemouth, where they will look to improve on their 13th‑place standing.