Observations as Manchester United crumble to defeat against Galatasaray
Manchester United have zero points in the group stage after two matches as Erik ten Hag continue to make work harder for themselves. The pressure is mounting at Old Trafford and it suddenly feels as bad as its been for years after crumbling to a 3-2 defeat against Galatasaray.
I keep saying that the only way the team can get out of this mess is by winning football matches. The players are incapable of concentration in key moments and any momentum we build slips down the drain. The football at times was a joy to watch, but the result yet again flatters to deceive. One step forward is always met by two steps backwards.
Galatasaray came back on two occasions and left Old Trafford as 3-2 winners. Summer signing Rasmus Hojlund scored both goals for United, but was let down by our poor defence.
It’s time to admit this is a crisis situation we are watching unfold for Ten Hag and it will be intriguing to see what he does next to ensure his players get better results. They look spineless, unable to defend and Andre Onana looks like a goalkeeper that lives in a world of his own at times.
The leaks in our dysfunctional defence are worse than the leaks in the roof at Old Trafford
A viral video did the rounds at the weekend after United’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. It watching us fail to break down Roy Hodgson’s side wasn’t torturous enough, several fans got drenched as rain pelted through leaks in the Old Trafford roof. I thought more leaked through our defence tonight as the Turkish champions scored three goals put on a plate for them. It doesn’t help that the defence is dysfunctional and missing key personnel, but Onana’s performance will be put under the spotlight because it was calamitous at best.
Marcus Rashford’s confidence is low
We discussed Rashford on the latest podcast following a social media pile on. I thought he performed well tonight and we struggled to create chances after he came off in the second half. His assist for Hojlund was second to none, however, I’m sure the agenda-driven mouthpieces on X will complain about his wasted chance on goal when he misplaced a squared pass to Bruno Fernandes. A confident Rashford goes for goal.
One silver lining
Tonight should be about our new 20-year-old striker. It was an exceptional performance from Hojlund, who showed his strength, pace and ability to hold up the ball. Instead people will focus on the collapse but we can at least take a positive from the fact the young Dane has 3 goals in 2 Champions League appearances for United. On top of that, Hojlund (20-years, 241 days) becomes the youngest player to score in his first two UCL appearances since Erling Haaland (19-years, 73 days) in 2019.
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