Manchester United didn’t get this year’s European campaign off to the greatest start on Wednesday night after dragging out a disappointing result against FC Twente, and Christian Eriksen was the first to deliver a damning confession about the attitude in the dressing room at half-time.
The Danish midfielder grabbed the opening goal of the night – his third in the last three – but Man United were guilty of resting on their laurels and the Dutch side managed to pull a goal back with just over 20 minutes until the final whistle.
The 32-year-old ultimately turned out to be both the de-facto hero and ‘villain’ of the piece, as despite putting his team in front just after half an hour, he also lost the ball in the middle of the park, allowing opposition striker Sam Lammers to make it 1-1.
Placing himself in front of the media after the game, Eriksen didn’t hesitate to hold his hands up but even more concerningly than the nature of the performance was what he admitted to the fans about the United dressing room.
Not only did he roll out the standard “feel like a loss” line as you would expect before quickly admitting that the players said in the changing room that “it felt like they wanted it more than us” and despite insisting that this “can’t be right”, they were guilty of not capitalising on their lead.
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Eriksen’s goal itself was a wonderful strike but it was the lack of commitment and combativeness in the midfield, it seems, that saw them drop two points against a side most would expect them to beat.
Midfielder partner Manuel Ugarte, though still admittedly new to the club and the manager’s system, came out on social media to concede, “I’m the first to make self-criticism. It wasn’t a great match personally. We have to keep working.”.
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However, it was the words from the manager in the post-match that made Eriksen’s assessment even more damning as he essentially echoed the same sentiment as his player, stating that not only did they get “punished” for not scoring a second and that “They looked like they wanted it more.”
He went on to make it clear that Lammer’s leveller was “[a team goal]”, adding, “A player of Twente can dribble through the pitch without stopping. We can’t give a goal away like this.”
"In the second half we dropped a level and gave a goal away."
Although he assured supporters watching on that they are professionals and have already accepted that they cannot be satisfied with their own level of performance, this is by far from the first time the Red Devils have failed to take chances and kill games.
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It must also be concerning for fans to hear both the manager and a senior player confessing the same ‘unacceptable’ attitude in the dressing room. The result meant that this was ten Hag has notched just one win in his last nine games in charge of United – five of those being defeats.
Owen Trout to leave Leigh Leopards at the end of the season
Danny Jones
Leigh Leopards star Owen Trout is officially set to leave at the end of the season after lots of interest around the world.
The 26-year-old has garnered plenty of suitors over the past couple of years, helping lead the Leopards to their best finish to date in Super League history last term.
With that in mind, some would argue it was only a matter of time before he was snapped up, becoming just the latest UK talent to make the move to Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL).
Announcing his exit on Thursday, 26 March, Trout will soon be swimming in Shark-infested waters, as he is set to join Sydney’s suburban side, Cronulla.
England international Owen Trout will take his talents from the Super League to the NRL in 2027 after signing a two-year deal with the Cronulla Sharks ✍️ https://t.co/GYqh6mD23P
Putting pen to paper on a two-year contract, the new Cronulla Sharks signing will get going in the NRL next year, but still has plenty of work to do for the remainder of his time in Leigh.
2026 may not have seen his best performances so far, but the Leopards as a whole haven’t been at their best domestically, either.
With just a couple of points to their name after five games, the next couple of weeks are a real opportunity to put together a proper run of form.
In addition to facing Toulouse this weekend, they’ve also got a North West double bill coming up against Warrington Wolves, who they’ll face in the league and the Challenge Cup quarter-final.
As for Trout himself, having made his England Rugby League debut this past October, he only came off the bench, but many national team followers made it clear they believe he should be in contention for a starting place.
Personality-wise, he’ll also be a big miss for the Super League in general, as he won over plenty of fans by shedding light on men’s mental health with Movember.
Speaking on the signing, Cronulla Sharks GM Darren Mooney said in an official statement: “Owen’s style of play is well-suited for success in the NRL, and we believe he is at the right stage of his career to make the move.
“He still has a job to do at Leigh, and our focus is firmly on the current NRL season, but we look forward to welcoming him to the club in due course.”
The Wakefield-born player has been hailed not only for his natural traits but versality, having played in both the front and second row, and that’s a particular level of utility that the Greater Manchester outfit will be hoping to find again elsewhere.
Meanwhile, in other British rugby league news, another big exit has been confirmed as Salford RLFC boss officially departed the team earlier this week.
Stockport County defender Brad Hills ruled out for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
In a big blow to their promotion push, Stockport County have been hit with a major injury and loss to their first-team squad, as defender Brad Hills has been ruled out for what looks to be the remainder of the season and then some.
Not what Hatters will want to hear with crunch-time in and around the playoffs now well underway.
Having emerged as even more of a starring centre-back this year, following his initial loan spell with the club during the previous campaign, Brad Hills has arguably been one of Stockport’s best and most reliable players in 2025/26 thus far – but not County will have to do without him.
Although the exact severity is yet to be fully revealed, the former Norwich City youth academy graduate is said to have hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Confirming the news on social media, the Greater Manchester side stated: “We regret to inform supporters that Brad Hills sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s draw at Luton Town that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.
“Our full focus is on supporting Brad throughout his recovery – we know he’ll come back stronger”
For anyone unaware, ACL tears/ruptures are among some of the worst injuries in football, and depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere between six months and a full year to bounce back.
Safe to say, therefore, that supporters have been left gutted by the update, with one commenting, “Awful, awful news”; another simply wrote, “FFS”.
After typing a very long expletive following the show news, fan podcast The Scarf Bergara Wore wrote: “Wishing Bradley Hills a speedy recovery – come back stronger!
Since becoming a permanent signing back in August, he’s earned multiple man-of-the-match awards in blue and white, not to mention contributed to a decent number of clean sheets. He’ll be a big miss in their backline.
While it’s no doubt a big setback as the League One team looks to get promoted into the Championship, the absence could see manager Dave Challinor reshuffle the pack and perhaps even the formation for the remaining fixtures.
One option is Louie Barry, who – depending on the setup – could finally be set for a return to the pitch after he was signed on a third loan deal this past January, but is still continuing his own rehab following a knee operation.
Put it this way, with not many games left, lots of County fans are probably wishing that the pending and potential further changes in the EFL could have come sooner…
Danny Jones -
26th September 2024 
