Rio Ferdinand has joined Bruno Fernandes in criticising Michael Carrick after Manchester United’s embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Como in the Champions League.

The Red Devils were completely outplayed by the Serie A outfit as Nico Paz (two), Anastasios Douvikas and Jacobo Ramón were on target for Cesc Fabregas’ side.

And after captain Fernandes took aim at Carrick’s tactics in his post-match interview, Ferdinand has also condemned the  Man Utd boss after witnessing ‘no patterns of play and an inability to press Como.’

‘Cesc Fabregas’ Como have made us look like a team who had won a raffle to be in the Champions League,’ Ferdinand posted on X.

‘At times it looked as though Como had 12 players on the pitch. We were toothless in attack, no running power in the team, no patterns of play and an inability to press Como.

‘A lot of credit has to go to Cesc and the way he has built this team and then you see the way he has got his ideas into this team.

‘Everyone knows their jobs and are dialled in, in and out of possession. They play to teammates under pressure – a great example of trust in one another.

‘But that is no excuse for us, we were poor on the night and look a team on zero confidence right now – so much to do to turn this around. And I haven’t even got onto the injuries!

‘The difference in budgets certainly wasn’t reflected in the difference between the two teams on the pitch! Nico Paz – lovely footballer by the way.’

Fernandes blames Carrick tactics

Just a week after Lisandro Martinez hit out at technical director Jason Wilcox, Fernandes has broken ranks to take a pop at his manager.

He told TNT Sports: “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.

“Conceding early makes us go into game 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.

“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.”

On whether he is saying Michael Carrick got his tactics wrong: “That’s on the manager and staff to see, not me. 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.”