by For Manchester United, the week started with an apology – the impressive performance in the 1-0 Premier League win at Newcastle. And it ended with another, more literal one this time, served up by captain Bruno Fernandes after Saturday’s 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, the 2-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford was hailed in some quarters as the best display of the season, even if there were still holes – particularly the front four. defense of the counterattack and the lack of ruthlessness in the final third.
Related: McTominay insists there is no toxicity at United and players back Ten Hag
You want salacious details? United has that covered. What about manager Erik ten Hag rowing with striker Anthony Martial during the Newcastle game? Everyone saw that. Then came the reports that Ten Hag had lost the confidence of some of his players, leading to the club banning four media outlets from the pre-Chelsea press conference – a strong move but rarely a strong look.
What happened to Marcus Rashford, last season’s hero, who is back in the lost soul territory of 2021-22 and is at the start? What is going on with Raphaël Varane, who has not kicked a ball in the last month? It would actually be quicker to mention the big United names that are not involved in personal melodrama.
Martial dropped after Newcastle for Chelsea, was recalled for Bournemouth, then inspired when he replaced him. Old Trafford added more respect to the full-time whistle. “[I want] to apologize,” Fernandes said. “The performance was not acceptable, starting with me.”
As United’s high and low, their magnifier, Fernandes booked himself for dissent in the 84th minute at 3-0 down and is suspended for Sunday’s trip to Liverpool.
It’s certainly been a wild week and yet there’s the sense that it’s the norm around Ten Hag these days, hope and frustration locked in a never-ending struggle. The previous week began with Alejandro Garnacho’s overhead kick in the 3-0 win over Everton – a game helped by Kobbie Mainoo’s extraordinary start to the series. Martial scored that day and so did Rashford, after Fernandes gave him the ball for a penalty. Then came the 3-3 draw at Galatasaray, a result that affected United’s Champions League progress. And then Newcastle.
It’s long past the point where fans don’t know whether United will succeed and it’s not stretching the point to say he can stretch from one period to the next within games. The club’s Champions League group stage campaign, which will be decided against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, has been shaped by a tendency to collapse at the first sign of turbulence.
It is worth reminding ourselves that United led twice against Galatasaray at home and that Copenhagen were away without losing on both occasions; that they led twice only to draw two goals at Galatasaray. The only time they took the lead was against Copenhagen at home and even then they needed a penalty save from André Onana to preserve the 1-0 lead.
|
pos |
Team |
p |
GD |
Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Bayern Munich |
|||
|
2 |
FC Copenhagen |
|||
|
3 |
Galatasaray |
|||
|
4 |
Man Utd |
Another statistic that hurts them is the one that shows they have scored three times in every away goal and have only taken one point. Only Antwerp have conceded more goals in this season’s Champions League than United 14.
It is entirely down to the way United have gone about their business that there is still a chance they could squeak through to the last 16, although they would have to do more than beat Bayern. The other tie between Copenhagen and Galatasaray would have to end in a draw, which is the only result neither would want at the outset. In other words, they won’t play for it, which reduces the chance of it happening.
Even more telling, perhaps, is how United really think they can pull it off – or at least, their end of the deal. What gives them this faith, asked Ten? “The game against Chelsea, the game against Everton, even the [away] game against Galatasaray,” he replied. “I know this team can perform at high levels. It’s not that we did it three months ago – we did it last week. I know we can do it when we have the right mindset, the right spirit. It starts with the right attitude. If everyone is ready for it we can do it.”
Ten Hag is under huge pressure, and not just because Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to take a 25% stake in United and take control of the sporting side of the operation. Ratcliffe will certainly prioritize reforming the recruitment department; he could still look at Ten Hag’s position.
The problems continue to intensify in the manager’s temples – the violence oozes from the good to the bad and the ugly, the game management, how his team can be so easily played through. United were only successful in fits and starts.
And yet Bayern, no strangers to hyperbole and high drama, come into crisis. Well, every win is for them and Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt fitted the bill. Never mind that it was their first win of the Bundesliga season. They are four points behind the leaders, Bayer Leverkusen, although they have a game in hand. They lost the German Super Cup. They are out of the DFB-Pokal.
United wonder why they shouldn’t be able to follow Eintracht and beat Bayern. In addition, Thomas Tuchel’s side have already guaranteed their progress in the Champions League as group winners. Will they have the edge they need at Old Trafford?
On the other hand, a reaction will be required from Bayern and Tuchel could not have been clearer at his pre-match press conference than he expected one. “When we’re wearing the Bayern shirt, we behave like champions or we can’t be champions,” he said. So what to expect? With United, hope drives them. And often kills.
