Not for the first time this season, as Manchester United were held to another draw by Fenerbahce, Erik ten Hag was left wondering what might have been.
To think, if the Red Devils had taken their multitude of chances against Manchester City, Brighton, Crystal Palace and FC Twente – to name but four – Manchester United would probably have at least four more wins on the board across all competitions.
You can make that five, now, after United forced Dominik Livakovic into a host of late saves as Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Noussair Mazraoui were all denied a clincher in Istanbul.
For Ten Hag, a victor on only four out of 13 occasions this season, the biggest regret came when Diogo Dalot drove into the penalty area on the hour mark before failing to set up Marcus Rashford for what surely would have been the simplest of tap-ins.
Although, given the standard of Man United’s finishing, even the easiest of chances can be made to look difficult these days.
Erik ten Hag frustrated with Diogo Dalot after Manchester United draw
“We had some good chances to make [the scoreline] 2-1,” Ten Hag reflects at full-time, once again the ‘final’ act – whether it be the shot, the pass or the cross, letting United down.
“It was a brilliant play from the right side with Diogo coming on the goalline [with] a pull-back.
It should be a goal. It was a fabulous outplay over the right side, good behind the defending line and then the pull-back, just the final ball is not there at the moment.
“It is a pity because I think, in that moment, when you go 2-1 up you win the game.”
In truth, it would be pushing a false narrative to suggest that Fenerbahce were fortunate to escape with a point to their name.
Jose Mourinho labelled Man United one of the Europa League favourites in the pre-match build-up, but it was the Turkish giants who created the majority of the chances.
Andre Onana pulled off the ‘impossible’ to deny two Fenerbahce players in the blink of an eye – to quote a typically magnetic Mourinho on the night – while Manuel Ugarte justified his re-call with a heroic sliding block.
Man United boss rues Fenerbahce draw as Europa League struggles continue
“It was a good game. Two good teams, both went for the win,” Ten Hag adds. “We want to win and, when you are 1-0 up in a tough away game, after a first half where you have control and we had some good chances to make a second [goal], then you concede a goal like we did, that feels bad.
“One cross has come in and then a goal. That shouldn’t happen.”
A year-and-a-half after Youssef En-Nesyri took full advantage of a David de Gea disasterclass to knock Man United out of the Europa League in the quarter-final stage, the former Sevilla frontman left Ten Hag with a nasty case of deja vu as he headed home from close range just after half-time.
“We should have won this game. But, in the end, we know that it’s a tough atmosphere here, so we take a point. So from two tough away games [against FC Porto too], we take two points.
“And now we have two games at Old Trafford. We have to win if we want to progress in Europe.”
With PAOK and Bodo/Glimt to come in the next few Europa League fixtures, Man United will be expected to finally get three points to their name in the upcoming matchdays.
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