Mourinho sent to stands as Fenerbahce thwart United
The Independent|October 25, 2024
Jose Mourinho’s red cards are usually considered acts of deflection, but last night’s probably served that purpose for Erik ten Hag.
MIGUEL DELANEY
Mourinho sent to stands as Fenerbahce thwart United

A raucous game with a lot of sub-plots offered perhaps the most entertaining shows in Europe this season, if not all for good reasons or with any real pay-off.

That’s Manchester United on the pitch, and Mourinho off it. The Portuguese failed to get proper “revenge” on his old club, but then United have now failed to maximise a lead in every single Europa League game this season. This raucous 1-1 at Fenerbahce was the third draw in three, any positives again offset by obvious flaws. Youssef En-Nesyri, who ended Ten Hag’s first United European campaign when at Sevilla in 202223, here ended any sense of momentum after the win over Brentford.

There was also the theatre of Mourinho being somewhat harshly sent off for complaining about how a penalty claim was dismissed. The cuts to Ten Hag’s predecessor on a step here meant there wasn’t the same scrutiny on Ten Hag’s present problems. United can’t seem to get any form going. This was actually a regression to another issue.

After so many recent games where they have struggled to score and matches have often been boring, United did step it up in attack. The issue, as we have seen before, is that they can’t seem to play well going forward without simultaneously being so porous at the back. They here had Andre Onana and Manuel Ugarte to thank for this otherwise solid result not being worse.

Some of it was admittedly better, but not all of it. It is fitting of the kind of limbo that United are in. They have obviously never got so bad that the new football hierarchy felt they should sack Ten Hag, but it’s still not like there’s proper progress.

Denne historien er fra October 25, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra October 25, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE INDEPENDENTSe alt
'I'll be back through No 10's doors one way or another'
The Independent

'I'll be back through No 10's doors one way or another'

We all know Maro Itoje's leadership qualities in rugby, but he tells Harry Latham-Coyle he has big ambitions off the pitch

time-read
5 mins  |
October 29, 2024
Defiance proved no match for a bizarre brand of chaos
The Independent

Defiance proved no match for a bizarre brand of chaos

Erik ten Hag has a class of defiance that sometimes made him sound a man apart.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 29, 2024
The 'fight has been called off' for staggering Ten Hag
The Independent

The 'fight has been called off' for staggering Ten Hag

Man United sack manager with the club 14th in league

time-read
4 mins  |
October 29, 2024
Gift economy: John Lewis to hire 12,500 festive staff
The Independent

Gift economy: John Lewis to hire 12,500 festive staff

The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) is set to hire 12,500 temporary staff this festive season in its largest seasonal recruitment drive to date.

time-read
1 min  |
October 29, 2024
Zoopla says £113bn of sales in pipeline as market surges
The Independent

Zoopla says £113bn of sales in pipeline as market surges

An estimated £113bn-worth of homes are working their way through the buying process in what marks the highest level of new sales agreed since autumn 2020, according to the property website Zoopla.

time-read
1 min  |
October 29, 2024
Look to Ireland to embrace the true spirit of Halloween
The Independent

Look to Ireland to embrace the true spirit of Halloween

Anna Hart speaks to historians, spiritual leaders and revellers about Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival now enjoying a resurgence but which the Irish were forcibly taught to forget

time-read
6 mins  |
October 29, 2024
Depardieu sexual assault trial postponed until March
The Independent

Depardieu sexual assault trial postponed until March

Gerard Depardieu’s trial on charges of sexually assaulting two women on a film set was yesterday postponed until March due to concerns about the actor’s health.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 29, 2024
Big Apple rotten to the core at Trump's Garden party
The Independent

Big Apple rotten to the core at Trump's Garden party

A 'surreal' return to New York saw 19,000 people cheer on crude insults and attacks nine days before the US election

time-read
5 mins  |
October 29, 2024
Paedophile who made AI images jailed for 18 years.
The Independent

Paedophile who made AI images jailed for 18 years.

A man has been jailed for 18 years after creating AI-generated images of child sexual abuse in an “utterly chilling” landmark case.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 29, 2024
Fertility rate in England and Wales plunges to record low
The Independent

Fertility rate in England and Wales plunges to record low

The fertility rate in England and Wales has dropped to its lowest level since records began, new government data shows.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 29, 2024