Ten Hag suffers final humiliation to leave Man Utd future hanging in the balance
How the mighty have fallen.
And even worse for Manchester United, they crashed out of Europe without a fight. Not good enough for the Champions League, not even good enough to make the Europa League, they were condemned to a defeat which leaves them bottom of Group A.
That was the final humiliation for Erik ten Hag, whose team are going backwards. Their lame surrender at Old Trafford must raise further doubts about his future. If the players are really behind the manager, they have a funny way of showing it because they never remotely looked like pulling off a miracle. Bayern Munich looked to be in second gear all night and yet still United could not get close to them. Never once did United look like scoring. They have now not scored in 201 minutes all competitions.
This place used to conjure up magical European nights when mighty teams crumbled amid red-hot atmospheres as United were genuine Champions League heavyweights. These days, the once famed Theatre of Dreams has become an outdated stadium which is a crumbling legacy of United’s fall from grace.
Bayern striker Harry Kane did not score but provided the assist for Kingsley Coman's late clincher and it was almost rubbing salt in the wounds because United cannot attract the best players any more either. Now their season is in danger of falling apart because they are out of Europe, out of the Carabao Cup and only have the FA Cup and a place in the top four to aim for.
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Yet this squad is falling apart at the seams and United fans were reduced to singing songs about their glorious when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored in the 1999 Champions League to beat Bayern and complete the Treble. But even more telling was the fact the atmosphere inside the stadium was so flat. Ten Hag had told his players to lift the fans, get them behind the team and yet the jubilant travelling fans were chanting: "Is this a library by the end?"
Bayern are formidable opponents - they have not lost a Group match for 40 games, a run which stretches back six years - but finishing below Copenhagen and Galatasaray is what is really unforgivable. This group was supposed to be a given for United and yet they have still somehow managed to mess it up.
Erik ten Hag is feeling the pressure at Manchester United (Getty Images)What did you make of Manchester United's performance against Bayern Munich? Let us know in the comments below!
Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw both going off injured has only increased their problems. Maguire went off in the first half with a groin problem, Shaw at half time with a hamstring injury and the bench had few options with Jonny Evans and Aaron Wan-Bissaka replacing the injured players, but they had nothing to fire up their attack.
Rasmus Hojlund did not get any change out of Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano, Alejandro Garnacho had no impact while Antony barely got a kick. Bruno Fernandes skied one shot over the bar and dragged another wide of the target.
You just felt Bayern were waiting for their moment to just up a gear and find the winner. It came after 70 minutes. Leon Goretzka began the move, substitute Thomas Muller kept it going and Kane provided the assist for Coman to run through and smash a shot past United keeper Andre Onana.
It was all so easy for Bayern and so lame for United. As news filtered through that Copenhagen had beaten Galatasaray, United’s hopes of a miracle were over. There were boos at the final whistle and no wonder.
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