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The task for every subsequent Manchester United manager has been to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson. Erik ten Hag did it twice in a night. Neither was cause for celebration. When Serge Gnabry scored Bayern Munich’s second goal, it was the first time since Ferguson’s team of 2001 that United had conceded twice in five successive games. When Mathys Tel added a late fourth, it meant the class of 2023 became the second United side to let in four goals in a Champions League game: the first was Ferguson’s 1994 group, when eviscerated by Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona ‘Dream Team’. That could be explained in part by the regulations about foreign players at the time and Ferguson’s disastrous decision to omit Peter Schmeichel; this in part by a different kind of goalkeeping error, Andre Onana’s blunder for Leroy Sane’s opener. Yet defensive difficulties have been a constant of late. To paraphrase Clive Tyldesley, who commentated on both the most famous and the most recent meetings of Bayern and United, can Manchester United concede? They always concede. Even their lone clean sheet this season had a fortunate feel and highlighted issues. Wolves, the lowest scorers in last season’s Premier League, had 23 shots, the most of any visiting side at Old Trafford in the top flight since 2005. They received an apology from PGMOL after they were not awarded a penalty. Since then, Onana has retrieved the ball from his net 14 times. United have shown they can concede early – they had never let in two goals as early into a Premier League game until they went two behind Nottingham Forest inside four minutes – and late, being breached twice in injury time by Arsenal. They have conceded in spurts, with quickfire doubles coming at their expense in three of the last four games, and at regular intervals. Twice in the Allianz Arena, they conceded soon after scoring. If the diagnosis on the opening night against Wolves was that the midfield was malfunctioning, with the introduction of Mason Mount leaving Casemiro exposed, subsequent matches have indicated there are also issues in goal, in the back four and on the wings that have led to opponents scoring. Ten Hag was asked in the Allianz Arena if the problem lay in the mentality or injuries. Both, he replied: certainly United had an alternative back four on the treatment table, in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, plus another sidelined left-back, in Tyrell Malacia. Certainly every game he misses accentuates Varane’s importance and his status as United’s best defender; that he is ageing and injury-prone, however, offers scant consolation. But as he defended Onana, pointing out the summer signing made several second-half saves in Munich, Ten Hag inadvertently underlined that the damage could have been greater. Bayern hit the post twice. Four goals might have been eight. As Ten Hag suggested that United could have done more to halt Sane before he shot, he touched on a recurring theme: United are opened up too easily on the flanks. All three Brighton goals stemmed from the wings, when Ten Hag’s decision to field a side without cover in front of his full-backs backfired. So did Bayern’s first two, with Jamal Musiala embarking on a storming solo run. At left-back, United are discovering that Sergio Reguilon, the emergency signing given a baptism of fire, is more of an attacking full-back. On the right, Diogo Dalot is struggling; Bayern, with their quick wingers, might have been a match to suit Wan-Bissaka, had he been fit. But neither Marcus Rashford nor, when available, Antony is the most diligent at shielding full-backs and low crosses and cutbacks can lead to goals against United. So can quick breaks. If, at times, United are chasing games and that is a factor in Arsenal’s third goal and Bayern’s fourth, there is nevertheless the sense that Casemiro can flounder when surrounded by open space and opposition runners. In different ways, Nottingham Forest’s first goal and Arsenal’s second reflected shortcomings from set-pieces – including United’s own corner. Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal was one of several that Onana perhaps could have saved. Declan Rice’s crucial strike for Arsenal was one of two when Ten Hag’s auxiliary centre-back partnership consisted of Maguire and Jonny Evans; a Leicester 2017 reunion consisting of one player low on confidence and another who might have retired. Ludicrously, United were one more injury away from starting Evans in Munich. And yet he is not the centre-back providing the most cause for concern. Neither is Maguire: the frequent scapegoat has only played 23 minutes this season. Victor Lindelof belongs in the bracket of the out of form. Lisandro Martinez is in still worse shape: substituted three times already this season, often threatening to get sent off, his commitment now looks like rashness, last season’s cult hero like this season’s calamity. That Ten Hag has faith in his former Ajax players, whether Martinez or Onana, is not in doubt, but his recruitment strategy now leaves him more open to criticism. In one respect, United may argue that nothing has changed. Last season, defensive problems were restricted to defining away games, to the eight trips to the rest of the Premier League’s top nine, when they were breached 28 times, and the visit to Sevilla, when they let in three. Now the fixture list has thrown up similar tests: Arsenal and Tottenham away, Brighton, who struck twice at Old Trafford last year, and Bayern. Now the kind of matches that brought clean sheets last season – Burnley, Crystal Palace twice, FC Copenhagen – beckon. But even if a few shutouts would be welcome, they would not be conclusive. Because a question will remain for the tougher games: can Manchester United defend? And, under Ferguson, they usually could. Read More Andre Onana’s wretched start at Manchester United just got worse – has anyone seen David de Gea? How Harry Kane unshackled Bayern Munich with a classic move from his Tottenham days Jamie Carragher claims Arsenal ‘will never win the league’ with Aaron Ramsdale Jadon Sancho set for cut-price Manchester United exit Classy Kane and brilliant Bellingham – England duo making waves in Europe The key questions behind Manchester United’s poor start to the season

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Kyogo Furuhashi’s late first-half strike gave Celtic a crucial 1-0 cinch Premiership win over Rangers at Ibrox to heap pressure on Gers boss Michael Beale. The Light Blues had the ball in the net twice in the first half but on both occasions the ‘goals’ were not allowed to stand – offside and a foul picked up by VAR – but Furuhashi could have scored twice before he fired the visitors in front just before the break. There were no travelling supporters – Celtic rejected the offer of around 700 tickets, citing safety concerns – but that seemed to hinder rather than help the home side at times as they tried in vain to get back on level terms. After just four league fixtures, leaders Celtic are already four points ahead of their Old Firm rivals going into the international break and the spotlight will be on Beale, who must have heard the boos ring out at the final whistle. For Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, who was under some pressure himself after his team lost to Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup and then drew at home to St Johnstone, it was a return to the overwhelmingly positive derby results he enjoyed in his first spell as Parkhead boss. Rangers had been knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by PSV Eindhoven in midweek on a 7-3 aggregate, a result which brought the doom-mongers back to Beale’s door. Dujon Sterling took over from the injured left-back Borna Barisic in Rangers’ line-up while midfielder Ryan Jack and striker Kemar Roofe returned with Jose Cifuentes and John Lundstram dropping out, while winger Liel Abada replaced Yang Hyun-Jun in Celtic’s XI. There were only seconds on the clock when Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers set up Rabbi Matondo to knock the ball into the Celtic net, but the former was offside. An expected Rangers onslaught failed to materialise. Celtic were calmer in possession and in the 16th minute Hoops skipper Callum McGregor sent Abada down the right and his cross could not bring a clean connection from Furuhashi just yards from goal. When home defender John Souttar lost possession, Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley sent Furuhashi clear but his angled drive was blocked by a combination of Ibrox goalkeeper Jack Butland and Light Blues centre-back Connor Goldson. Moments later, Rangers had the ball in the net again. When Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke was challenged by Dessers just inside the Hoops half the ball broke clear for the Rangers attacker and he raced on before squaring the ball for Roofe, who took a touch before firing past Celtic keeper Joe Hart. When referee Don Robertson checked the pitchside monitor at the behest of the VAR, he ruled the goal out for a foul on the Parkhead defender, albeit it looked soft. Furuhashi eventually got on target seconds before the interval when O’Riley returned a Goldson header into the path of the Japan striker who confidently drove the ball past Butland to silence Ibrox. An early second-half mistake by Goldson gifted the ball to Abada and his angled shot was just missed at the back post by Daizen Maeda. Amid some huffing and puffing from Rangers, Butland had to save a decent drive from Holm on a Celtic break. As the Govan side kept pressing, Hart raced out to foil Sam Lammers before denying Danilo twice from close range as Celtic held on for the win. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Prop, scrum-half and full-back – the World Cup selection dilemmas facing England Wales centre Mason Grady has tough family act to follow at first Rugby World Cup Tributes paid to former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak after his death aged 49

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PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 7, 2023--