Five issues Erik ten Hag realized as Man Utd scrape a degree towards Fenerbahce
Manchester United held on to secure a nervy 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce in the Europa League to keep pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils produced an impressive first-half display and Christian Eriksen opened the scoring after just 15 minutes with a thumping effort from just inside the 18-yard box. A sensational double save from goalkeeper Andre Onana denied an equaliser with the hosts who registered four shots on target unlucky not to hit back.
Shortly after the break, United crumbled after failing to prevent a cross into the box which was met by Youssef En-Nesyri who headed home the equaliser. Many expected the Turkish giants to prove a tough opponent with several former Premier League players in their squad and ex-United boss Jose Mourinho in the hotseat.
United initially dealt with their threats well but their makeshift defence eventually gave way in the second half and they only narrowly held on to secure a third successive draw in Europe.
The result makes life difficult for manager Ten Hag who continues to come under fire after United’s poor start to the season. It also marks 12 months since they last won a game in a European competition.
(Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)
Eriksen is back to his best
It’s been a sensational comeback for midfielder Christian Eriksen after it looked like his United career was over at the back end of last season. The Dane has struggled with injuries since his arrival at Old Trafford back in 2022 but has started eight of United’s last nine matches this season scoring four times.
Ten Hag is currently dealing with a crisis in the middle of the park with injuries to Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo, so Eriksen is key moving forward. Despite being 32 years old he’s replicating some of his best form at the perfect time.
Mazraoui experiment didn’t work
Ten Hag sent supporters into a meltdown before kick-off when it was revealed defender Noussair Mazraoui would be starting as a makeshift number 10 due to the suspension of captain Bruno Fernandes.
United named just three midfielders in their travelling squad to Turkey due to ongoing fitness issues, and the Dutchman decided against starting all three. While he didn’t put a foot wrong, Mazraoui didn’t prove to be a creative threat either.
He only lasted 55 minutes in the position before Ten Hag reverted him back to defence in favour of the fresh legs of Casemiro.
Automatic qualification is looking difficult
Three draws in a row places United 21st in the Europa League table and they are only safe from the elimination places due to a superior goal difference. It makes qualification straight to the last 16 difficult and puts a lot of pressure on upcoming fixtures against PAOK and Bodo/Glimt at home.
At the beginning of the season, it was hoped that this competition would provide the Red Devils with a good chance of lifting silverware, but reality has hit and they look a long way from that now.
Ugarte is finally proving his worth
The defensive midfield position has been a weakness at United for several seasons. Casemiro initially arrived from Real Madrid in 2022 to fill the position but his quality has dwindled dramatically in the past two years.
Ten Hag’s solution was to bring in Manel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain this summer and although there were initial question marks over his ability, tonight he proved his worth.
An incredible block in the first period denied a Fenerbahce goal and he kept doing the dirty work for the rest of the game. United have finally found a player capable of nailing down that position.
United struggle to see out games
United proved strong defensively in the first half but conceding just a few minutes after the break proved they are still capable of surrendering a lead.
Instead of coming out and looking to score a second, they were happy to sit back and invite pressure from Fenerbahce which resulted in an early equaliser. If they want to go deep into competitions and improve in the league, then they must learn to keep clean sheets and see out a victory.
