JOE BERNSTEIN: Man United looked haunted in Seville and must avoid implosion
Manchester United’s humiliating Europa League exit against Sevilla on Thursday night raises more questions about the foundations upon which Erik ten Hag’s revival at Old Trafford has been built.
The Red Devils were firmly beaten 3-0 by LaLiga to continue their chaotic season under the Dutch coach, who will have enough to deal with after his side capitulated in yet another big game.
With a huge FA Cup semi-final against Brighton on Saturday, his players will need to recover and bounce back quickly to ensure their season ends on a high.
Mail Sports Joe Bernstein assesses how United fell apart in Spain and how the team can move on from here.
Manchester United fell apart in Spain when they were eliminated from the Europa League after a 3-0 defeat by Sevilla
FEAR OF WEMBLEY LENDING
For a team supposedly on the rise, United have had some shocking events this season. 0-4 against Brentford that finished off Cristiano Ronaldo, 0-7 at Anfield against Liverpool and now 0-3 against the team that is thirteenth in La Liga.
United’s saving grace so far has been their ability to bounce back. After Brentford, they beat Liverpool. After Anfield, they put four past Betis. Make no mistake though, Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Brighton will be their biggest test yet.
Erik ten Hag’s team creaks and looks tired. There will be no Martinez, Varane or Maguire on Sunday, Rashford and Shaw don’t look quite match fit, Martial didn’t last in Spain.
Tellingly, Christian Eriksen’s calm head was paraded in front of the cameras minutes after the Seville mess. “Any footballer can have a bad day,” he said, trying to reassure the United faithful that they are not about to implode.
United are creaking and looking tired, which will be a major concern for boss Erik ten Hag (right)
The team will face Brighton in the FA Cup semi-final this weekend – the final team they now want to face
Brighton is the last team they want to play against now. Roberto De Zerbi’s side have had a full week to prepare and are fresh off an outstanding win at Chelsea. Privately, ten Hag would love guys like Alex Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo is his team.
Even a leader at the back like Lewis Dunk would be invaluable with his two leading centre-backs both injured.
“It’s gone,” ten Hag judged after seeing all hopes of a Jose Mourinho-style League Cup-Europa League double evaporate. “But now we have another chance on Sunday.”
United’s resilience this season means you wouldn’t write them off. But they looked haunted when they came off the field in Spain. Ten Hag advocates immediate improvement. He will know that a repeat performance will cause another crushing blow to the national stadium.
DAVID DE GOER?
“He’s been a great goalkeeper. He’s not a footballer and never will be,” was Paul Scholes’ blunt assessment of the Spaniard playing at Sevilla as if he wanted the club to withdraw their contract offer.
We’ve been waiting for De Gea’s future to sign up as long as Tyson Fury threatens to enter the ring with Anthony Joshua. But it would be interesting to see deep down if Erik ten Hag really sees him as part of rebuilding at Old Trafford.
If De Gea didn’t cover himself in glory for United’s first two goals, there was no excuse for the poor contact with his right foot that gave Sevilla a third.
David de Gea had a nightmare playing from the back and his days seem numbered
He knows he’s not getting anything like his current £375,000-a-week contract, but even if he got half of that, that would make him ideal for the pattern of play that ten Hag eventually aims to build at the club, playing from the back as the most successful teams in England and Europe do these days.
United’s mood music is that talks are going well, they respect their old number 1, he will eventually stay. But the most successful clubs have to be ruthless at times. What advantage does a party have when De Gea is asked to play a style that doesn’t suit him and we get more catastrophes like Thursday night.
BRUNO TIME
Football players often get better when they are off the field. So it is that Bruno Fernandes, mocked and pilloried for his irritability and nagging at Anfield, is now regarded as United’s potential savior, having been suspended over the debacle in Spain.
There is no doubt about Bruno’s talent and, it must be said, his courage to risk losing the ball to make important contributions.
It’s time for Bruno Fernandes to come to Manchester United and rediscover his goal-scoring ability
With Casemiro and Christian Eriksen finally available together, now could be the time for Bruno to shine where he is most effective at the top of a midfield trio.
United need the Portuguese star to rediscover his goal-scoring ability. After switching positions and sacrificing himself for the team this season, he has failed to score in 15 of his last 17 United games.
But back in his rightful position, with the captain’s armband on and Harry Maguire suspended, he really needs to step up and make a difference.
Ten Hag falls short in the heart of the defence, but will not hesitate to ask Casemiro to drop back as this could have consequences for Bruno. If he has no other choice, Fred will have to come in and try to be disciplined in the middle of the park.