After leading 2-0 and 3-1 at one point in the match, United would have been disappointed in not seeing the game out.
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Manchester United twice blew away a two-goal cushion to settle for a point in their crucial Champions League encounter against Galatasaray. The Red Devils produced brilliant attacking performance throughout the game, but poor defending and goalkeeping errors cost the side massively at RAMS Park on Wednesday night. After leading 2-0 and 3-1 at one point in the match, United would have been disappointed in not seeing the game out. The point does not help the team much in their quest to reach knockout football, as their hopes of qualifying from the Champions League group now looks extremely thin.
After the match, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag stated that the team should have won the Champions League match, considering the position they found themselves in. “We were winning and then we’re losing [points]. We should have taken three points, clear. That is also [the case] in more games: at home against Galatasaray, away in Copenhagen, we played so good. I have to make a big compliment to the team but, in the same moment, I have to criticise the team and us: as a coaching staff and me, as a manager. We are not defending good enough. We are leading 3-1 and you can’t afford the mistakes we’re making, because that makes the difference,” he told TNT Sports.
Despite throwing the two-goal cushion on a couple of occasions against Galatasaray, ten Hag felt his side had created enough opportunities to win the game in the end. “We will fix that [conceding too many goals] but I’m very pleased, you see the style of the team. Proactive, dynamic, brave, so it’s what I said, I’m really pleased with the performance. We created so many chances. Also, in the end, we could have won this game, with Scott [McTominay], with Pelli [Facundo Pellistri] in the end. They were big chances and it was not about luck but about playing good football,” he explained.
Ten Hag also went on to explain the reasons behind the goals they conceded on Wednesday night. “I think every goal has its own story. The first is a transition moment, when you speak about quick release, we don’t block the middle. The second is a free-kick, an unnecessary free-kick, but then we have to defend the free-kick better and then the third one, we are very good and organised but we got run off and we are in an overload area. So it can never happen, these mistakes can’t be. In the Champions League, you get punished for it, so you have to learn from it,” he added.
The manager further took the blame for throwing the leads away but believed his side is moving in the right direction. “It’s always me [who is to blame for throwing away leads]. I am responsible for this, but also know we are in a project. We’re getting forward, we’re making improvement, so that’s very hopeful. We are in the right direction, so I know where we have to go and which steps we have to take and I’m sure we will be successful in the long term. If we want to stay in the Champions League, we have to win the next game,” he stated.
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