Manchester United 2-3 Galatasaray: What was symbolic about this United defeat?

Manchester United have lost their opening two Champions League games for the first time in the club’s history, but bigger issues are surrounding the club.

Despite losing six of their first 10 games this season and having their worst start to a Premier League season, even more scrutiny is being pointing towards the ownership of the club and the toxic atmosphere currently surrounding Manchester United.

With all of the issues on the pitch, this has only highlighted the bigger problems off it. Footage recorded by some United fans at the end of last night’s game showed a large number of away Galatasaray fans dotted all over Old Trafford.

Every stand contained large amounts of away fans who had replaced the home fans that had already vacated the stadium. For the Galatasaray fans, this was a special moment for them after they had just seen their side record a very famous win in the Champions League. For United fans, it was quite the opposite as they were left humiliated after watching what had happened on the pitch and what had then happened in the stands.

Many United fans took to social media to voice their disappointment, claiming United are “an absolute shambles of a club”. To many, it felt as though they were the away fans given the number of Galatasaray fans dotted around the ground.

This incident feels almost as symbolic as Manchester United’s trip to Galatasaray back in 1993 with the famous “welcome to hell” night.

Erik Ten Hag spoke to the media following last night’s defeat and insisted the club will stick together and has backed goalkeeper Andre Onana after another high profile mistake in the Champions League.

“Last season: brilliant, terrific, more than we could expect. We also knew in this project there would be common gaps. At this moment we are in a very difficult period as everyone can see but we come out together, we are fighting together, we are sticking together and we are behind each other. That is me, the directors, the team, all together we will fight.”

“This is not us, we know we have to do better, with togetherness we will come out.”

“If I give an explanation, then you will see as excuses, there are no excuses. We can’t make the errors we are now making. We have to do better, it is a simple fact, we have to win our games.”

On match day one of the Champions League, new goalkeeper Andre Onana made a big mistake against Bayern Munich after he spilled a shot from distance into this own net. Last night, he was at fault again, this time resulting in a red card for Casemiro. The Cameroon international gifted a pass straight to the opposition which resulted in a penalty conceded and a red card for his Brazilian teammate.

Erik Ten Hag has insisted that his goalkeeper will bounce back though. “We are happy with our goalkeeping group, definitely with Andre,” Ten Hag said. “He was in one semi-final of the Champions League, last year he was in the final of the Champions League, he has the capablilties to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.”

“He has shown that and he will do. We already have seen in games his great capabilities, also his personality after he made mistakes. He will bounce back and I am sure he will in the coming games as well.”

Pressure is certainly building on everyone at the club at this given moment and Erik Ten Hag continues to face scrutiny from United fans and the media after another disappointing defeat.