Manchester United’s 4-1 defeat away to Como has given fresh weight to the debate around Jason Cundy’s criticism of Celtic, because the talkSPORT pundit was so forceful in his judgement of the Scottish club’s European defeats. The comparison is not exact, but it does raise a fair question about consistency and double standards in punditry.
That point matters because Cundy has repeatedly taken a severe line on Celtic in Europe. In October 2022, he placed Celtic in Europe’s “fourth tier”, and after Celtic lost 4-1 against Benfica he accused them of having “disgraced UK football”. He later said Celtic had embarrassed Scottish and British football after their 7-1 defeat in Dortmund in October 2024.
Why the comparison matters
The argument is not that one result automatically excuses another. Celtic’s defeats to Atletico Madrid in November 2023, Benfica and Dortmund were heavy, and they came against well-established European opposition. But Manchester United’s own 4-1 loss away to Como has inevitably reopened the wider discussion about how harshly some clubs are judged, and how quickly certain narratives stick.
Como are in their first Champions League campaign, which is part of why the result has stood out so sharply. United, by contrast, carry a far bigger weight of expectation, and that is exactly why the defeat has been so uncomfortable. Yet that same logic is what makes Cundy’s previous language around Celtic look even more pointed when set alongside United’s latest setback.
Double standards in focus
The issue here is not whether United’s defeat should be minimised. It should not. A 4-1 loss away from home is a serious blow for any club of their size. But if Celtic were said to have disgraced UK football after one defeat, and embarrassed Scottish and British football after another, then it is reasonable to ask how far those standards should stretch when a major English club suffers a similar humiliation.
That is why this latest result does more than damage United’s own standing. It also forces a fresh look at the tone and consistency of the criticism that has followed Celtic through their European defeats. The football point is simple: harsh verdicts only work if they are applied evenly.
For now, Manchester United’s defeat to Como will be remembered for the scoreline first. But it also adds a new layer to the long-running debate around Jason Cundy’s commentary on Celtic, and whether the reaction to their European losses has always matched the reaction to others.
