United turned in their third European draw out of three on Thursday evening, away against Mourinho’s Fenerbache, leaving us in 21st place in the 36-team league.
It was another match that was hard to watch at times, and it now marks 12 months since our last European victory. This trophy is possibly our best chance at Champions League football next year and performances are sub-par to say the least against not-so-great opposition.
The Mystery of Missing Amad
I do not like it when drama takes over football, but this game was no different, kicking off with the team selection. Approaching a fixture in a hostile Turkish setting with pragmatism is alright, but deciding to play Mazraoui was baffling and inexplicable to many, especially with the likes of Amad on the bench. He’s barely got a kick lately while showing promise. The decision late in the game to bring on Antony (who had to be stretchered off) added insult to injury, quite literally. Amad was visibly frustrated and who could blame him?
Another option would have been to play Zirkzee in there with Hojlund up front but the latter wasn’t deemed fit enough to start by the manager.
A Glimmer of Hope: United’s Decent Beginning
We did start fairly well, staying compact in defensive settings and showing decent work rate, United scored a clinical goal on the turnover to take the lead with Eriksen on the scoresheet. The Mazraoui experiment seemed to be holding up but that was probably owed to the the tactical awareness of the player. He didn’t do much wrong over the course of the match either.
For a while, United exhibited sensible game management by slowing down the tempo and on point defensive positioning. It seemed like there was a miniscule chance Jose could be served a taste of his own medicine, where we sit back, soak up the pressure and counter to hold on to the lead. That, however, would go against our own tradition of individual errors at the back; surrendering the ball and ultimately the lead without a fight.
defensive frailties come back to haunt reds
Soon after half time it was 1-1. A simple cross into the box had caught Lindelof napping leading to the equaliser. Our worst nightmare – a midfield comprising players deemed not good enough for us in Fred and Amrabat, managed by a fired manager in Mourinho had inevitably come back to haunt us. Jose got himself sent off; reminding us all that he is still one for the drama.
A visible lack of clarity on the pitch and glaring ineptitude in execution is hurting us in all competitions. The fallen shoulders and droopy faces on the pitch speak for themselves if the performances and results were not enough evidence.
Apart from an unreal-goal saving tackle by Ugarte who arguably had his best game in a United shirt yet and a spectacular double save by Onana, very few positive memories come to mind to take away from this match.
Player Ratings & MOTM
Onana – 8 & MOTM. Sharp reflexes and crucial in keeping United in the game. Calm even when pressed. One of the only players that can probably leave the pitch with a semblance of pride.
Dalot – 5. Better going forward than defending however not incisive enough.
De Ligt – 7. Reliable, Composed on the ball and decent pass accuracy.
Lindelof – 5. Culpable for the goal and did not defend well. Care to get a header on the pitch mate?
Martinez – 6. Very aggressive at times but sharp while sensing and dealing with dangers. Good on the night
Mazraoui – 6 Did more defensively than going forward despite playing 10. Sums up his performance. Made the best of a losing hand.
Ugarte – 8. Did what he was bought to do. Broke up play and couldn’t contribute much offensively but solid. Covered a lot of ground and +1 just for that sensational tackle.
Eriksen – 7. Strong contender for player of the season so far. Saviour with the goal.
Garnacho – 7. Won a lot of fouls and also a lot of the ball. Failed to capitalise on his current form. Lively on the pitch throughout.
Rashford – 6. Involved heavily in United’s attacking but poor decision-making in the final third.
Zirkzee – 5. Chipped in with an assist but only competed 8 passes and the solitary shot. Barely involved and isolated.
Subs:
Antony – 5. Came off injured minutes into his cameo.
Casemiro – 5. Slotted into the midfield but failed to make any impact on the game.
Hojlund – 5 Had to play as a defensive forward mostly holding up the ball.
Diallo – 6 Came in sharp and completed his passes with intent. Talent wasted lately.
The Walls Are Closing In: Ten Hag’s Turkish Nightmare
We now have more questions than answers.
The match pattern follows what’s become an unfortunately familiar template for United this season – taking the lead through good work (nice to see Eriksen on the scoresheet), showing some promising game management, but then conceding through defensive lapses. Onana making important saves has been another recurring theme.
Lack of homework on opposition and our own players’ strengths and weaknesses is concerning. If he soon cannot bring the best out of his players, the board might consider replacing him with someone that can because as many suggest, this team is better than what it looks to be. Defending is becoming more and more difficult, be it the manager’s tenure or for the team on the pitch.
Looking ahead, we move on to West Ham away the weekend, let’s hope to see some progression at least. Erik Ten Hag’s job is by no means safe.