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Manchester United fans were subjected to a large dose of frustration at Old Trafford, which has become far from being the theater of dreams, as the English team bid farewell to the Champions League – yesterday, Tuesday – and its players are biting their fingers with regret.
The season – in which United had already lost half of the 24 matches it played in all competitions – reached a new depth when it lost with a clean goal from its guest, Bayern Munich.
Koeman opens the scoring for Bayern Munich 🔥⚽️#Champions League pic.twitter.com/WsQJ8yl9BU
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) December 12, 2023
Coach Erik Ten Hag's team is at the bottom of the group with 4 points, which is the lowest number of points in the team's history in the group stage of the Champions League. It also conceded 15 goals in 6 matches, which is the largest number of goals scored by an English team in the European competition.
For the third time in 7 seasons, United were eliminated in the group stage and this time did not even qualify for the Europa League qualifiers.
With a difficult trip to Liverpool, leaders of the English Premier League, at the beginning of next week, a match they lost seven-nil last season, the pressing question is: Will things get worse, and how much time does Ten Hag have left to try to change the situation?
Steve Bruce, United's former Premier League-winning defender, told the BBC: “The fans have shown a level of patience but there is great disappointment. As we have said many times with United, it always seems that they are two games away from crisis.”
He continued, “Eric ten Hag must now try to lift everyone's morale and the only way you can do that is to achieve a result (at Liverpool Stadium).”“.
Ten Hag's first season was relatively positive, and the former Ajax Amsterdam coach won the League Cup, United's first title in 6 years, and also returned the club to the Champions League by finishing third in the Premier League.
This earned Ten Hag a lot of credit, but he quickly became consumed by it, even if the fans still largely supported him.
The reality is that despite spending £400 million ($500 million) on new signings since Ten Hag took over, United look like a team lacking a clear vision or direction.
Jaap Stam, who won the Champions League with United as part of the team that won the treble in 1999, said that he is worried about his Dutch compatriot Ten Hag and believes that the recent ban imposed by United on some media outlets due to stories about disagreements in the locker room increases the feeling of distress and anxiety.
“You need peace and quiet,” Stam said. “You don't want to pay too much attention to other things like the players and the press. It's about your players as well. But he invested a lot of money in the players he brought in. But is that group of players the right one?” “My opinion is that they are not like that.”
While the imminent investment in the club by Jim Ratcliffe gives some reasons for optimism, the current concern is going to Anfield without suspended captain Bruno Fernandes and duo Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw after they were injured against Bayern.
“I try not to think about it,” former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel told CBS Sports.
