So here we are. Ten games into the season and the Manchester United circus is back in town.

It’s astounding to think we’re so early in the season and United’s centre-back went after the sporting director and people upstairs, and just one week later the captain has gone after the manager’s tactics.

Damningly, Bruno Fernandes came out and blamed the staff and manager after the humiliating 4-1 defeat to Como FC, highlighting the lack of a proper man-to-man marking system.

Michael Carrick responded by saying they did “half” press man-to-man in the second half and conceded because of it, but added that they would never win a game if the team doesn’t sprint forwards or backwards and choose when they want to perform – implying the players either lack fitness or aren’t giving it their all.

Whatever happened in the summer, in terms of a lack of investment, has irked the players, and Carrick is suffering because of it. It’s possible that because of the early losses this season, they don’t believe in him anymore.

Carrick has run into plenty of problems with his tactics this season that have led to those losses, so I’ve broken down the three major tactical issues that could cost Carrick his job:

Pressing
I could’ve written 4,000 words for this piece and about 3,500 of them on pressing. Ipswich Town, Fulham and Tottenham all cut through Manchester United’s high, lackadaisical press with ease, before Como truly exposed just how bad United are out of possession.

The problem is, even if they are stood in the right place, the press doesn’t work because their attackers arrive so late to where they should be. Instead of sprinting to close the opposition down, they amble to close an opponent down, almost jogging.

Whether this is a fitness issue from a ‘relaxed’ pre-season, or a hesitancy in commitment from the players, the intensity without the ball is really lacking, and teams rip through United because of it.

Against Como, when the ball came out to the right in defence, Como used United’s press against them. Luring several players in at once stacked up the pitch before they shifted it through to Nico Paz in the middle, who was crucially not being followed by Harry Maguire.

This is likely what Fernandes meant when he said what he said about United committing in the press.

The players are too far away from Como’s defence and the centre-back has decided to not follow a dropping attacker.

The manner in which United’s tepid press has failed this season has exposed the lack of urgency out of possession as Como easily played around them.

The lack of intensity was astounding.

Bruno Fernandes
Something is clearly going on with United’s talisman. The post-game interview vs Como was the first time he notably spoke to the media, and he used it to uncharacteristically blast the manager who made him into the league’s best player.

The problem is, this is his team. Anything good Manchester United have done since he arrived in 2020 centres around him; the team suffers because he’s playing badly but also because they don’t have another player of his quality to rely on.

He doesn’t look like the same player of last season who added a calm layer to his excellent play-making abilities.

His position has been changed this season; he is not doing what he used to in terms of having a ‘free’ role and peeling off into deeper areas.

This hurt opponents because he would be dangerous from such ridiculous areas teams didn’t bother tracking him into. He could begin the move deeper and then come up with the final dangerous action to create a chance.

The switch to move him further up the pitch has isolated him; he’s waiting to receive the ball in dangerous areas in between the defence and midfield.

He’s much better suited to being the player who knows how to zip passes into other players who are in those areas rather than being on the receiving end of them.

There is a degree of sadness that he may simply be fed up after being the standout player for so long. The same enthusiasm of charging around and making things happen appears to have left him.

Change of attacking intent
United lack wingers and width. It got to a point vs Leeds United when Diogo Dalot was almost playing as a winger after they switched to a 3-4-3.

Amad has just returned from injury; Marcus Rashford is still busy shaking one off. There has been an attempt this season to have more of the ball (as opposed to last season) and drop players in the centre of the pitch to progress through the middle.

While this worked vs Everton, it means that they have scant numbers in the box and no real central striker presence.

Hollywood FC at it again
The biggest worry away from the tactics for Carrick now may be in getting players onside in the first place to do what he wants them to.

His tactics have led to losses, and with the way Fernandes and Martinez spoke in the media, it seems as though the players are turning against the manager.

As Manchester United is a very emotional club – the performances depend on the mood around the club and at the minute, and it feels like things couldn’t be worse.

I said in September that the mood, confidence and belief have been affected. Since then, Carrick hasn’t shown anything in his tactics to suggest he can turn it around.

Unfortunately, it feels like United are once again trapped in the cycle, with the writing on the wall for another one of their legends and his managerial stints.