After one small step forward, Manchester United took a continental leap back — It’s not getting better at Manchester United, where Michael Carrick’s era feels more and more feels like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 2.0.

The silver lining of a moral victories from a weekend draw at Leeds United now looks dull, a bleak grey after the Red Devils went to Italy and were dominated before and after the break of a 4-1 loss to Como in the UEFA Champions League.

There were no saviors to be found in Matthijs De Ligt made his return next to Harry Maguire and made for a clumpy, plodding center back duo behind a midfield that was diced up surgically as if Como boss Cesc Fabregas was still in his prime and manning the middle for the hosts.

Carlos Baleba came off the bench with Andrey Santos on yellow and made an error as two big summer buys couldn’t hold it down for Carrick. We’re told Bruno Fernandes was out there somewhere.

United are out of one competition after losing at home to Brighton in the League Cup and now are 1-0-2 in the Champions League league phase. There’s no polish that can shine this season and answers don’t seem to be around the corner.

Difficult to draw up a worse start: Where are the pre-January answers for Michael Carrick’s Manchester United?

Ipswich Town and Sabah FK.

A promoted side and the Azerbaijani champions.

These are Man United’s wins to start this season, a 2W-4D-5L record without a win away from Old Trafford.

Losses to Atletico Madrid, Man City, and even Brighton? Sure. But the Red Devils lost at promoted Hull City to start the season and a very forgiving set of PL fixtures has them 13th despite Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal yet to take the other side of the field.

It has to get better in a hurry, but where is the hope aside from the eventual comfort of De Ligt and Baleba and the return of Benjamin Sesko, who Carrick has rarely trusted to start?

You’d point to Bruno Fernandes but his best games this season have mostly come in a Portugal shirt. Take away a brilliant three goals and an assist day versus Ipswich and he’s posted a goal against Sabah... and nothing else. Youri Tielemans is confused at best and wasted at worst without a danger man in front of him or match-runner behind him.

The Red Devils have now been blanked by Atleti and Como in their two away Champions League games and are getting almost nothing in attack outside of Bryan Mbeumo.

At the back they’ve allowed 15 goals in 11 games across all competitions. Harry Maguire is being asked to do a lot and while he’s excellent in the duel, he’s struggled to get to the duels. De Ligt will help but maybe a back three will be needed again. Across Italy, Ruben Amorim’s ears just perked up. Lammens has been fine, but they’ve needed him to be great.

No string pullers. Few danger thwarters. No game controllers.

Besides that, it’s great. Just great.

Carrick’s in trouble. Maybe he’s been exposed as someone who could bring a group together coming out of a bad spell but doesn’t have the tactical or in-game adjustment acumen to alter the trajectory of a result. Whether Ole’s at the wheel or Michael, this feels way too familiar