Manchester United’s domestic form has certainly shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, but that’s far from the case in Europe.
Erik ten Hag’s side have once again dropped points from a winning position as they drew 3-3 with Galatasaray in the Champions League, a damaging result in their bid to reach the last 16.
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United were once again the victims of their own demiseCredit: Getty
Goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes fired them into a two-goal lead within 18 minutes before Chelsea loanee Hakim Ziyech struck back.
Scott McTominay scored what he thought would have been a crucial third shortly after the break but United failed to hold on.
Another free-kick from Ziyech caught Andre Onana off guard once again and a strong strike from Kerem Akturkoglu levelled the scoring.
United now have to beat Bayern Munich and hope Galatasaray draw with FC Copenhagen on the final matchday to progress, and it’s the third time in the Champions League this season that they have been in a winning position and then failed to emerge victorious.
Eight points have been dropped when they’ve been in the lead, and no other team has suffered a worse fate this term.
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Fernandes criticised their lack of ability to kill games offCredit: Getty
Captain Fernandes appears to be fed up of their inability to hold onto results as he told TNT Sports: “Every time we concede a goal we had many chances to score again.
“I think at the end of the game we had like four chances to score a goal but we have to get our heads up and understand that sometimes it’s about finding another pass, finding the player that is free.
“Trying to get the best one in the best position and take the chance ourselves, we have to look for the team first and after, for ourselves.”
He added: “It’s too bad to be honest, I don’t want to be too negative but for what we’ve been doing in the Champions League is not enough, we have to control our games every time.
“It’s not the first game we’ve had like this, even with FC Copenhagen, I understand we had one player less but we scored to make it 3-2 and we had to secure the result.
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Onana had another disappointing performance in goal for UnitedCredit: Getty
“We have to understand in these kind of games, in these kind of stages, you have to be smart enough and manage the game better.”
United have also conceded 14 goals in the Champions League group stages, a new and unwanted record for the club that could get worse when they face Bayern in the final match.
Onana has been criticised for his role in Galatasaray’s second goal as he allowed Ziyech’s shot to spill under him and into the net, although Erik ten Hag says collectively the defence isn’t up to scratch.
“We’re winning and then we’re losing, we should have taken three points,” the United boss told TNT Sports. “But there’s also in more games, at home against Galatasaray, away in Copenhagen, we play so good so I have to make a big compliment to the team.
“But also in the same moment I have to criticise the team and us as coaching staff, me as a manager. We aren’t defending good enough, we are leading 3-1 and we can’t afford such mistakes because that makes the difference.”
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Ten Hag will certainly have food for though from their latest performanceCredit: Getty
“Every goal has it’s own story,” he added. “The first is a transition moment, we spoke about quick release and we don’t block the middle.
“The second is an unnecessary free-kick but then we have to defend the free-kick better. The third one we are very good and organised but we got run off and we are in an overload there.
“So, our mistakes can never happen in the Champions League, you get punished for it, so we have to learn from that.”
United’s 12 goals in the group stage is the fifth highest tally out of any club but their defensive woes have been their downfall, and former defender Rio Ferdinand cites a lack of balance as to why.
The 2007/08 Champions League winner with Man United said: “I think they’ve got to look at themselves.
“You can’t go into a Champions League campaign and score nine goals in three away games and have one point at the end of it. I think that shows you that there’s a lack of balance in the team at the moment.
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United now face a huge task in their hope of reaching the last 16Credit: AFP
“Yes they can get goals and yes they are attacking at will and creating chances, many of them coming through Bruno. But I think defensively, they just made mistakes, I think the goalkeeper today has to hold his hands up and say, ‘Yep, I was at fault for a couple of goals.
“He should do better. But, I think the manager will be scratching his head and thinking, ‘The game plan first-half worked perfectly,’ and then all of a sudden they score a goal, it changes the dynamic of the game.
“They were 2-0 up, 2-1, and you’re thinking, ‘Wow, I set the team up perfectly well, they execute it but then a mistake cost us,’ and at 3-1, the same again.
“So I think there’s a lot of question marks in the performances and the way they’re going about things at the moment but balance for me is one of the key aspects that they’ve got to really find.
“We mentioned in commentary, scars from throwing away leads, those are hard to get away, you’ve got to really manage games and he mentioned that himself Bruno, you’ve got to go out managing games correctly.
“They’ve got to do that not over one or two or three games, they’ve got to do that over a period of games now so they can erase those scars that they’ve created and they’e grown through bad results and throwing away leads, especially in Europe.”
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