Man Utd flops nudge Erik ten Hag closer to the sack despite late Porto equaliser
PORTO 3-3 MANCHESTER UNITED: Whatever Erik ten Hag may say about him and Manchester United's hierarchy being aligned and on the same page, one thing is clear – his players are most certainly not
by David McDonnell · The MirrorHarry Maguire rescued Manchester United - but Erik ten Hag was still nudged closer to the sack.
Whatever Ten Hag may say about him and United's hierarchy being aligned and on the same page, one thing is clear – his players are most certainly not. How else to explain how United managed to blow a 2-0 lead, when in control of the game, to leave Ten Hag once again looking like a dead man walking despite Maguire's stoppage time equaliser.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes, experienced central defenders Matthijs De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez, and midfield duo Casemiro and Christian Eriksen played as if they know Ten Hag is already on his way. After last Sunday's 3-0 mauling at home to Tottenham, which could have been an even more humiliating scoreline, United needed to be tight defensively and ensure, at the very least, they did not leave Porto defeated.
But after establishing a two-goal advantage, United reverted to type, ceding possession cheaply, failing to carry out the very basic principles of defending and managing to lose a game which, in all likelihood, will lead to Ten Hag being replaced.
On Sunday, United go to Aston Villa, fifth in the Premier League and on a high after their stunning Champions League win over Bayern Munich. If United are as ragged at Villa Park as they were here, Ten Hag may as well clear his desk now.
United were under pressure straight away, Porto forward Galeno forcing Andre Onana to tip his goalbound effort over the bar. But it was United who went ahead in the seventh minute, after a fine individual run from Marcus Rashford. Christian Eriksen found Rashford out wide on the left and his intent was clear as soon as he picked up possession and ran at Joao Mario and Stephen Eustaquio, skipping past both before executing a low, near post effort.
Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa will wince when he watches replays of the goal, allowing the ball to squirm under him and over the line, when he should have made a routine save.
Worse was to come from Costa in the 20th minute, when he was beaten once again at his near post, this time by Rasmus Hojlund, who claimed his first goal of the season, the Porto keeper getting a hand to the ball but unable to keep it from going over the line.
But United's propensity for self-implosion reared its head once more, allowing Porto a way back into the contest with a goal in the 27th minute. Onana did well to palm away a goalbound header from his own defender, Noussair Mazraoui, but Pepe reacted quickest to the rebound, beating Martinez to stoop and nod the ball in.
United were still reeling from that goal when the hosts drew level seven minutes later, Samu getting ahead of Matthijs De Ligt to meet a cross from Mario and power a close-range header beyond the reach of Onana.
Rashford did not emerge for the second-half, replaced by Garnacho, but United could not blame that change for nearly going behind within two minutes of the restart, Onana blocking a shot from Francisco Moura.
But Porto did not have to wait long to take the lead, United's defensive frailty exposed three minutes later, Samu getting ahead of the hapless De Ligt again to meet a Pepe cross and steer a first-time finish into the roof of the net.
Fernandes, sent off against Spurs on Sunday, saw red again as he was dismissed for two bookings. But the ten men battled back with Maguire nodding in a last-gasp header.
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