MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s future in this season’s Champions League hangs by a thread ahead of Bayern Munich’s visit to Old Trafford, with an early exit in Europe sure to put more scrutiny on manager Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman tried to argue after victory over Chelsea last week that United’s season has not reached crisis-mode.

But Ten Hag’s hopes that a turning point had been reached were short-lived as a 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth on Saturday saw a troubled campaign reach a new low.

The Red Devils sit sixth in the Premier League after seven defeats in their opening 16 games.

Yet, while there may be time to recover a place in the top four domestically, their need in the Champions League is urgent.

Only victory against the German champions on Tuesday will give United any chance of progress to the last 16 and even then, they need FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray to draw in their final Group ‘A’ match.

United are fortunate to even have a shot at the knockout stages after a return of just four points from their opening five matches.

No English side has ever conceded as many as the 14 goals that Ten Hag’s men have in five Champions League group games.

A series of high-scoring shootouts in Europe contrasts sharply with United’s troubles to score goals in the Premier League.

“I never think in negative scenarios. We think positively. We have to win to stay in Europe; it is all about that,” Ten Hag told reporters on Monday. “We have shown in the last weeks that when we are at our best, we can do it.”

United opened their campaign with a 4-3 loss at Bayern, followed by a 3-2 defeat at home by Galatasaray in which they twice led. They were also 2-0 ahead away to Galatasaray in their penultimate group game, but ended up drawing 3-3.

We are inconsistent as a team, we have not been naive to that. We have spoken with coaching staff about it,” United midfielder Scott McTominay told reporters, sitting alongside Ten Hag at a news conference ahead of the final group game. “As a group we have to come together and find out the answers to that. It is finding that consistency and balance.”

United face a crucial week with the clash at home to Bayern followed by a trip to Premier League leaders Liverpool. Ten Hag, for now at least, appears to have the support of United’s fans.

“I hope the fans are together with us,” he said. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve always sensed a strong bond between the team and the fans. Even when we’ve had big setbacks. But we have to take responsibility and energise them.”

Unsubstantiated media reports of dressing room splits ended with four organisations being banned for Ten Hag’s news conference ahead of last week’s Premier League game against Chelsea and the loss at home to Bournemouth hardly helped calm the turbulent Old Trafford waters.

But McTominay said the players are fully behind the embattled Dutchman, also conceding that has not always been the case with some of Ten Hag’s predecessors where the situation sometimes became toxic.

“It is the players’ responsibility first and foremost, the players know that as well,” he said. “It is not just the case like [with] some of the other managers where it has been a little bit toxic at times.

“The boys are firmly behind the manager and that is the be all and end all. We have got [an] amazing coaching staff as well. People can get lost in translation and get carried away with what the players think and what they say behind closed doors — we just want to do well for the football club and it is as simple as that.”

Bayern are already guaranteed to top the group and continue a run that has seen them advance to the round of 16 every season since the 2008-09 campaign.

They go into the game on the back of a shock 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, which should provide Thomas Tuchel’s team with added motivation to win in Manchester.

Also on Tuesday, Napoli require a draw at home to Braga to guarantee to the knockout stages.

They are second in Group ‘C’ on seven points with Braga three points behind but Napoli’s 2-1 win away to the Portuguese club and better goal difference means even a 1-0 defeat on Tuesday would see the Italian team progress.

Real have already secured top spot having won all five games to date, and face Union Berlin on Tuesday, bottom of the group with two points, but who could clinch a Europa League place with a win if Braga lose.

Though Inter Milan and Real Sociedad will be in the round of 16, they meet in Italy on Tuesday with leadership of Group ‘D’ at stake. A draw is enough for Sociedad to ensure being seeded in the round of 16 draw as the group winners.

Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven have wrapped up the top two spots in Group ‘B’ but Sevilla travels to Lens needing to win in France to ensure a place in the Europa League.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2023