Rio Ferdinand makes brutal Manchester United claim after Como defeat | Football
Rio Ferdinand says Manchester United looked like a team of competition winners during their shocking Champions League defeat to Como.
United’s disappointing start to the season reached new lows as they were thrashed 4-1 by Cesc Fabregas’ Como on Wednesday night.
Como were in Serie D when Manchester United last won the Champions League in 2008 but dismantled the Premier League giants from the first minute.
The impressive Nico Paz put Como ahead inside two minutes before providing the assist for the hosts’ second, scored by Tasos Douvikas.
Paz netted his second of the game on the hour mark and Jacobo Ramon headed home Como’s fourth before Joshua Zirkzee scored a consolation goal for Manchester United in injury-time.
Michael Carrick apologised to the travelling United fans in his post-match press conference and described his team’s performance as ‘not just bad but unacceptable’.
Manchester United legend Ferdinand was shocked and concerned by the performance out in Italy against a Como side who are not long established as a Serie A side.
‘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.
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‘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.’
Ferdinand’s former United teammate Dimitar Berbatov was equally alarmed by the defeat and said it looked like Como were taking on a ‘reserve team’.
‘It was a terrible, terrible night and a terrible game for Manchester United,’ Berbatov said on TNT Sports.
‘Como outplayed them in every way possible. It was like they were playing a reserve team, almost.
‘Are these the players who can compete for a club like Manchester United? Is it the right manager? Those questions will be asked after this kind of performance.
‘It’s going to be harder and harder for Michael Carrick to turn it around. It was like watching men against kids.’
Manchester United return from Italy having won just two of their first 11 games of the 2026/27 campaign.
Carrick said: ‘It’s the motivation, the intention, the intensity and the purpose that you have to bring to a game of football. We didn’t bring that today.’
United summer signing Youri Tielemans added: ‘We got outplayed for most of the game so it was a very disappointing night.
‘It’s everything. You can be good tactically but if the effort is not good [then it will not work] and vice versa. You need to be good at everything and tonight we were poor. It comes down to that.’
Manchester United will be desperate for an improved performance on Sunday when they return to Premier League action against Bournemouth.
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Rio Ferdinand makes brutal Manchester United claim after Como defeat | Football
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