Man Utd were beaten 4-1 by Como in the Champions League and Michael Carrick was livid with his players at full time.

As the rain teemed down before kick-off and the low clouds and mist hung over Lake Como, the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium wore a haunting look, but it was nothing compared to Michael Carrick at the end of a night that might well bring a premature end to his Manchester United reign.

This was one of United's most wretched European away nights in the 13 years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, and the competition is fierce. This 12,000-capacity stadium is hardly welcome to hell. The atmosphere was gentle as the game began, many of the locals rolling down the hills from the villas to watch their newly minted team go toe-to-toe with a European grandee.

That status is afforded to United in name only these days. Como were too sharp, too clever, and too well-coached for them. Cesc Fabregas looks like a former Premier League midfielder on the fast track to a glorious coaching career. Carrick is clinging to the job he has by his fingernails.

His team have won just twice in 11 games this season. An injury crisis affords him some mitigation, but not to this extent. This was as lifeless a display as United have produced in a long time.

The most damning part is that Carrick talked confidently of a fresh start only four days ago. When things unravel that quickly, it usually means we are near the end. Failing to beat Bournemouth on Sunday will surely be curtains.

Having gone behind inside a minute in Madrid a week ago, United lasted to the second minute in Como. They should have scored at the other before that, but after Diogo Dalot curled a left-footed shot wide, Nico Paz showed him how it's done. Paz was given way too much room, ghosting between Matheus Cunha and Harry Maguire, but the finish was sublime.

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It summed up the contrast between the two teams. United were careless and lethargic. They were bullied all over the pitch and struggled to muster any kind of response, with a Maguire header that floated well wide their only real chance of the first half.

Como had more zip about their play and more purpose with what they were doing. Senne Lammens had to smuggle behind another Paz shot after an incisive break, while Anastasios Douvikas blazed over from 12 yards after a more patient build-up.

There were 33 minutes on the clock when the away end burst into a chorus of "attack, attack, attack". A stoppage in the rain hadn't done anything to improve the mood of the 700 supporters behind the goal.

The challenge for Carrick at half-time was to decide which players to take off. Andrey Santos and Matheus Cunha were the fall guys, replaced by Carlos Baleba and Amad. It made no difference.

Within three-and-a-half minutes of the half beginning, United were two behind. The ease with which Como swept from one end of the pitch to the other was startling. Baleba, Noussair Mazraoui, Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt were all outthought or outrun by opponents, with Paz slipping in Douvikas to lift a shot past Lammens.

The rain had stopped but now the floodgates were open. Baleba's pass was intercepted by Paz, who raced clear before slotting a finish past Lammens. Jacobo Ramon headed in a fourth without a United defender in sight. In between, Fernandes was taken off, shaking his head and aiming daggers at the bench as he made the slow trudge back to the dugout.

He wasn't the only one making an early exit. As the final whistle blew, only around 100 of the 700 United fans remained in the stadium to see Joshua Zirkzee's consolation.

As the final whistle sounded, Carrick marched straight over to the away end, palms outstretched by way of apology. He ignored every single player and then headed for the tunnel.

You didn't need to be a body language expert to realise he blamed those players for this embarrassment.