If Manchester United’s collapse against FC Twente was not worrying enough for Erik ten Hag, the noises coming out of the Old Trafford dressing room provided further cause for concern.
Like against Manchester City, Brighton and Hove Albion and in Saturday’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace, the Red Devils were once again left to rue their baffling inability to win a game they should have put to bed pretty comfortably.
Chances were wasted, mistakes were made. And, suddenly, Manchester United are under pressure to get a win on the board away to FC Porto at the start of October.
FC Twente – while finishing third in the Eredivisie last season – were supposed to represent a rather comfortable start to United’s Europa League group-stage campaign. But nothing is ever straightforward at Old Trafford these days.
After Christian Eriksen fired the hosts into a lead against their managers former employers – United boss Ten Hag discussed his undying love for Twente pre-match – they dropped the tempo and gifted the underdogs a leveller through Sam Lammers in the 65th minute.
Christian Eriksen’s post-match Manchester United comments spark concerns
It was the goalscorer who was caught in possession in the build-up.
Former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves criticised Eriksen and Andre Onana as Twente secured one of the most famous results in their European history, the latter beaten at his near post.
But it was Eriksen’s post-match comments which maybe raises even more alarms than United’s dismal second-half performance.
“It was far from good enough,” Eriksen said in front of the reporters at full-time. “It has been said in the changing room, it looked like they wanted it more than us and that can’t be right.
“Everyone is looking at themselves. Everyone is a professional footballer. They know what can’t happen That feels like a loss.
“And, at home against Twente, that can’t happen.”
For what it’s worth, Hargreaves does not see a Man United team lacking in desire.
The 2008 Champions League winner instead feels that confidence is so brittle amongst this squad of players that any setback – like the one that changed the game completely just past the hour mark – tends to leave an indelible mark in their psyche.
“Interesting what he said there,” Hargreaves says in response to suggestions that Twente simply ‘wanted it more’.
“I didn’t really get that impression, but I thought their energy and pressure peaked towards that second half. I thought Man United heads went down after that goal, and its not good enough.”
Erik ten Hag bemoans lack of United ruthlessness in Twente draw
Karen Carney, the former England women’s stalwart, was a little less forgiving in relation to those Eriksen comments.
“That’s unacceptable,” Carney says, adding that Man United were once again made to pay for their wastefulness in the final third. “You have to be ruthless.
“I didn’t see a ruthless edge from United tonight.”
Much has been made of Man United’s inconsistent finishing. After hitting ten against Southampton and Barnsley, United have followed up that purple patch with one against Crystal Palace and Twente.
“We kept them alive. We are 1-0 up, controlling the game and you have to be consistent. You have to keep going,” Ten Hag sighs, particularly incensed about the way rampaging right-back Bart van Rooij carved United open in transition.
“In the second-half, we dropped a level and we gave a goal away. We didn’t finish it off. We had to go for the second goal so they stay alive and then we get punished with a mistake from ourselves.
“If a player of Twente can dribble over the whole pitch without anyone stopping him… We can’t give a goal away like this. We had some good structures but you have to have consistency and keep going for the whole game.
“You have to go for the second.”
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