Scott McTominay says the whole team have to take responsibility for Manchester United’s bleak Champions League predicament after Andre Onana’s mistakes and a lack of killer instinct cost them at Galatasaray.
Having lost three of their opening four Group A matches, Erik ten Hag’s side managed to throwaway a two-goal second-half lead in Istanbul as a pulsating, helter-skelter clash ended 3-3.
Wednesday’s result leaves United bottom of the pool with only the home clash with already qualified Bayern Munich to come in a fortnight’s time.
Copenhagen’s draw in Germany later that day keeps the Red Devils’ faint chances of progressing alive, but they must win their final game and hope Copenhagen draw with Galatasaray.
“We have to wait and see,” McTominay told the PA news agency. “It’s not in our hands.
“We’ve put ourselves in that position and we have to own it and that’s football.
“We kept our cool really well, I felt like throughout large portions of the game.
“Obviously towards the end it gets a little bit like a basketball game where everyone’s up and down and some tired legs and stuff like that.
“We need to rest, recover and there’s is a big game coming up on Saturday, which we will be ready for as well.”
United have little time to recover from their draining night in Turkey as attention turns to Saturday evening’s Premier League trip to Newcastle.
All eyes are sure to be on goalkeeper Onana in the North East after the summer signing endured another chastening Champions League night for the Red Devils.
Guilty of gaffes away to Bayern and in the reverse fixture against Galatasaray, the Cameroon international was somehow beaten by two Hakim Ziyech free-kicks on Wednesday.
The second was particularly shocking and proved the catalyst to the hosts’ comeback but McTominay refused to blame him and acknowledged that outfield players should have put the game to bed.
“We’re so disappointed not to come away with more goals than three, to be honest,” said the midfielder, who had put United 3-1 up in the 55th minute.
“If you had said that to us before the evening started (we would score three) we would have been delighted with that, hopefully get another clean sheet.
“But football’s football. There’s mistakes and different things that can happen in the game and it’s partly our fault at the other end of the pitch for not killing the game as well.
“We had control and we were playing some good stuff.
“That’s football. It can happen and there’s no individuals in this team. We all want to be a collective and push each other forwards together.
“But, yeah, there’s another game on Saturday which we’re looking forward to and we’ll learn from this one for sure.”
McTominay added that “whatever happens at both ends of the pitch we need to stick together” as United look to shake off their challenging Champions League disappointment.
Newcastle have also been in midweek action away to Paris St Germain and St James’ Park is set to provide another hostile environment for Ten Hag’s team.
“There’s no intimidation in football,” McTominay added. “You’ve just got to go there and take it on its head on and go for it.
“That’s the way that this team wants to operate – we want to go and fight every challenge head on and that’s it.
“There’s no ducking and diving out of situations. We want to go and push ourselves and test ourselves against some really good teams as well.”
Ten Hag reveals Martinez could return when Man Utd host Newcastle
Erik ten Hag says Lisandro Martinez could make his first Manchester United appearance since March when the Red Devils host Newcastle United on Wednesday.
Having made just 11 appearances during an injury-hit season, the Argentina international is set to return from a calf problem that has kept him sidelined since his most recent outing in the draw at Brentford six weeks ago.
Although, the game comes too soon for fellow defender Raphael Varane, who announced he will leave the club at the end of the season, but Ten Hag hopes the France international can feature again before he departs Old Trafford.
The Dutchman said of Martinez: "I think he will return [against Newcastle]. He had some [training] sessions and, if everything is okay, he will be involved.
"We are definitely planning [for Varane to play] for the last games. Not tomorrow, but we hope for Sunday and then, of course, for the last game [against Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 25]."
With two games remaining, the Red Devils are in eighth place and three points adrift of Newcastle in sixth, while the Magpies boast a far superior goal difference.
And Ten Hag underlined the necessity to achieve a positive result to keep his side’s European qualification hopes via league position alive.
"It's a very important game," he said. "We have to do everything to get the win; we have to fight hard for it."
Meanwhile, Newcastle will take a huge stride towards securing European football for a second successive season with a win at Old Trafford.
And Eddie Howe, who revealed the Magpies are waiting on the fitness of Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, is eager to ensure his players arrive there in the best shape possible.
"It is a massive fixture. We are under no illusions of the magnitude of this game," he said.
"We must make sure our players go to Manchester United in really good spirits, confident and prepared.
"We find ourselves in this position, and it is where we deserve to be. We will be hoping to finish off these two games strongly. Our motivation is to qualify for Europe."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes
In Fernandes’ absence, the Red Devils have lost both of their last two Premier League games.
Since the Portugal international made his debut in the competition, they have won 40 per cent of their league games and averaged 1.3 points-per-game when he has not started; compared to a 53 per cent win rate and 1.8 points-per-game when he has been in their starting XI.
Newcastle United – Sean Longstaff
Following his strike against Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend, Longstaff has scored in successive Premier League appearances for the first time, with 60 per cent of his goals in the competition coming this season (six out of 10).
Newcastle have never lost a Premier League match in which the midfielder has found the net (winning six, drawing three).
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Man United have lost just one of their 28 Premier League home games against Newcastle (winning 18, drawing nine), going down 1-0 in December 2013.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils have only lost their final home league game in one of the last 16 seasons (winning 11, drawing four), suffering a 2-0 defeat against Cardiff City in 2018-19.
They are also unbeaten in their last 14 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) home games in the Premier League (winning 11, drawing three). Liverpool were the last visiting side to win at Old Trafford in midweek in the competition, courtesy of their 4-2 triumph in May 2021.
Having already beaten the Red Devils twice in all competitions this season, Newcastle are aiming to become the first team to beat the Red Devils three times in a single season since Chelsea in 2012-13.
The Blues were also the last side to beat them twice away from home in the same campaign (2004-05).
Although, Eddie Howe has never won a Premier League match away in Manchester against United or City in 14 attempts (drawing two, losing 12). Only Steve Bruce has managed more away games in Manchester in the competition without success (26).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Manchester United: 42.9%
Newcastle United: 29.3%
Draw: 27.8%
Varane to leave Man Utd at end of season
Raphael Varane will depart Manchester United when his contract expires at the end of this season.
The France defender, who is currently sidelined through injury, is set to leave the Red Devils after three years at Old Trafford.
Varane has made 93 appearances for the club since arriving from Real Madrid in August 2021, scoring two goals, and was part of the side that won the Carabao Cup in 2023.
United occupy eighth place in the Premier League table with two games remaining in what has been a torrid 2023-24 campaign, and are in danger of missing out on European qualification.
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old is confident brighter times lie ahead for the club.
"It's been an amazing few years to play for this special club and wear that shirt," he said in a video posted on his X account.
"The first time I went to Old Trafford as a Man United player, it was insane. The atmosphere was amazing. I fell in love with the club, with the fans. You have to play for Manchester United to understand what it represents.
"It's going to be a special place for me for life. Despite the fact we had a difficult season, I'm very positive for the future. The new owners are coming in with a clear plan and a great strategy."
Beckham: Man Utd's problems have lasted 'too long'
David Beckham believes Manchester United’s issues have lasted "too long" since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
The Red Devils have won just four major trophies since Ferguson’s departure, with their most recent – an EFL Cup win last season – ending a six-year wait for silverware.
United have not won a Premier League title since the Scot’s final season in charge, with six managers failing to reclaim the top-flight crown since then.
This season, Erik ten Hag’s side are at risk of recording their lowest league finish and points tally, as they sit eighth on 54 points with two games remaining.
Beckham, who won 13 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League, told The Athletic: "I think it has been a difficult time over the last five or ten years, but it was always going to be when the boss left the club.
"It wasn’t just that, we lost players like Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and Gary Neville, all of these players that had been at United for so long; you lose part of that, and you lose part of the club.
"So it was always going to be a difficult time. But we’d like it to change pretty quickly because I think it’s gone on for too long now."
United have lost 19 games in all competitions this season, their most since 1977-78 (also 19), with nine of those coming at Old Trafford – their joint-most at home in a season and the first time it has happened in the Premier League.
Their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday marked the first time they had conceded in 10 successive games in all competitions since October 2021, while the 82 goals they have let in this season is their most since 1970-71 (also 82).
Beckham was speaking at the premiere of 99, the Amazon Prime documentary covering United’s iconic treble-winning season 25 years ago.
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