Erik ten Hag needs a captain’s performance from arguably the worst club skipper in Man Utd’s history in huge Porto clash
CRISTIANO RONALDO hammered a glorious 40-yard winner the last time Manchester United were at the Estadio do Dragao.
Yet here in Porto tonight — with Erik ten Hag on the verge of being known as the former United manager — he needs one of his so-called superstars to do something similar.
Ronaldo’s 2009 belter whisked United into the Champions League semi-finals.
They then beat Arsenal but lost to Barcelona in the final in Rome.
Yet there were not too many tears back at Old Trafford — as this was the era they were still finishing top of the Premier League.
Their latest Prem title had been delivered a couple of weeks earlier.
Under Ten Hag, they are currently not in the Champions League, likely to miss out on qualifying for next season’s competition and look light years away from winning the Prem.
Yet in the Europa League this evening, at the venue where former United boss Jose Mourinho became special, Ten Hag needs someone — anyone — to step up.
Defeat here — and again at Aston Villa on Sunday — and the Dutchman will surely be toast.
He really needs someone like Ronaldo but that is a sore point.
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Former United assistant manager Benni McCarthy not only claimed Ten Hag lacks “fire” and “passion” but reckons he could not handle Ronaldo “in the right way” when that relationship turned sour.
So instead, Ten Hag needs Bruno Fernandes — on his Portugal homecoming — to do something.
But he has not looked interested for most of the season, apart from the Community Shield maybe — but that doesn’t really count.
Fernandes, 30, was sent off during United’s 3-0 loss to Spurs on Sunday for a rash tackle yet the scoreline would have been the same had he remained on the pitch.
With the red card rescinded, he is now available for the trip to Villa Park but you have to wonder whether that is a good thing.
Certainly United need a captain’s performance — from arguably the worst club skipper in their history.
Asked about former Sporting Lisbon star Fernandes, Porto boss Vitor Bruno said: “An international is always a quality player.
“He played at Sporting Lisbon so he will want to make a great performance.
“The way he was sent off in the last match wasn’t reasonable at all.”
Or maybe Marcus Rashford, who showed signs of life when scoring in the 3-0 win at Southampton on September 14, will actually tear Porto to pieces.
But other than scoring twice in the 7-0 win over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, Rashford has looked anonymous for most of the time he has been on the pitch and his body language has looked all wrong.
Lee Carsley names his latest England squad today and once again Rashford will not even be in the conversation.
So an away game against the 30–times Portuguese champions is not an ideal way to follow Sunday’s car crash against Tottenham.
Porto lost to Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in their first Europa League match but they will still be a huge test for United.
They have only won one of their last nine European games under Ten Hag — and their away record is also terrible.
Ten Hag's five worst defeats
ERIK TEN HAG has suffered some heavy defeats during his tenure as Manchester United manager.
5. Copenhagen 4-3 Man Utd, November 2023
The damaging defeat saw the Red Devils dumped out of the Champions League.
4. Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth, December 2023
It was the first time the Cherries had ever won at Old Trafford with the players being booed off.
3. Brentford 4-0 Man Utd, August 2022
Perhaps a sign of things to come, in Ten Hag’s second Premier League game, his side was dismantled by the Bees.
2. Crystal Palace 4-0 Man Utd, May 2024
The heavy defeat to the Eagles saw the Dutchman edge ever closer to the sack.
1. Liverpool 7-0 Man Utd, March 2023
Man Utd were embarrassed at the hands of their bitter rivals as they crumbled at Anfield as it was the club’s worst defeat in 92 years.
The only successes on their travels in European football have come against FC Sheriff, Omonia Nicosia, Real Betis and Real Sociedad.
The Champions League last season proved to be an unmitigated disaster.
United were so bad, they could not even manage third place to drop down into the Europa League.
They suffered 4-3 defeats at both Bayern Munich and Copenhagen, drew 3-3 at Galatasaray — and finished bottom.
Even this season, the defence has not looked any more secure. Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui both arrived from Bayern in a move which could cost nearly £60million.
Despite being praised by Ten Hag, De Ligt still looks like the player who at times seemed out of his depth at both Juventus and Bayern.
Yet all of these summer signings are on Ten Hag, which is why United have been keen to give him time.
But despite Ten Hag insisting he is not panicking, everyone else concerned with United is doing exactly that.