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.
Bolton boss Ian Evatt charged with misconduct by FA after squaring up to Shrewsbury player
Danny Jones
Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt has officially been charged with misconduct for squaring up to a Shrewsbury player following the full-time whistle.
Evatt was sent off as a result of his reaction which began with his complaining to the referee about the eight minutes of added time that were tacked on to the end of the game which ultimately ended up in a 2-2 draw.
The 42-year-old was unable to contain his frustration and although multiple players on both sides were trying to defuse the situation, the incident unfolded all too fast and the Bolton manager suddenly found himself pressing his forehead against Shrewsbury defender and captain Morgan Feeney.
You can see the moment he saw red (quite literally) here:
Ian Evatt charged by the FA for misconduct after this.
This isn’t an isolated incident either. He has a history of letting his emotions take control when things don’t go his way.
Following an investigation by the FA, Evatt has now been charged with “improper and/or violent” misconduct for leaning his head against Feeney’s and was given until Thursday, 10 October to respond.
Although he has yet to issue an official statement following the decision, Evatt did speak to BBC Radio Manchester shortly after the altercation, admitting: “I’m disappointed and I’m not happy with how things turned out.”
“There wasn’t an issue with the referee [Declan Bourne] at all, we were discussing the timing situation”, he clarified, going on to add: “There was context to my actions. Their player grabbed me and was saying some not-nice things and I reacted in a way I shouldn’t have done.”
Nevertheless, many fans have remained enamoured with the Coventry-born coach’s passionate albeit sometimes overzealous behaviour on the touchline even if recent results have been very up and down for the Wanderers.
It was only last season that the Greater Manchester side narrowly missed out on promotion after losing the playoff final to Oxford United, having also fallen foul in the previous season’s knockout stages.
The Trotters missed out on the next round of the EFL Trophy competition following a tense but wasteful draw against Aston Villa’s under-21s before losing 4-1 on penalties in their previous game.
As for what’s up next following Evatt and the misconduct charge, his side have the international break to gather themselves and prepare to take on Burton Albion FC back in League One on Saturday, 19 October, where a win feels all but essential given the current atmosphere of the club.
What do you reckon, Bolton fans – Evatt in or out?
Featured Images — Sky Sports/ITV (screenshot)/Bolton Wanderers FC (via X)
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Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui undergoes procedure following cardiac arrhythmia diagnosis
Danny Jones
Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui has undergone an operation following a recent cardiac arrhythmia diagnosis.
The Morrocan-born full-back who arrived at Old Trafford this summer was officially withdrawn from international duty on Monday and is now confirmed to be sidelined following surgery.
Despite early overblown and unverified reports claiming that Mazraoui would be out for several months, it is now believed that the procedure was ‘minor’ and will only be out for a few weeks.
It’s said the 26-year-old had been experiencing heart palpitations and that corrective steps were taken to prevent similar problems in the future.
🚨🔴 Man United's Noussair #Mazraoui has successfully undergone a minor precautionary corrective procedure after experiencing heart palpitations ✔️
It is expected that the #MUFC full-back will fully recover and be available again within a few weeks.
Fans were understandably concerned following the early rumblings, especially given his recent issues with fitness before arriving at the club and his teammate Christian Eriksen‘s own history of cardiac problems, though it is thought Mazraoui’s procedure was merely precautionary.
Back in January 2023, Mazraoui was unable to play competitively for some time after developing inflammation of heart tissue after suffering from a bout of Covid-19.
He was unable to begin light training a month later and return to the pitch properly in March. Cut to now and he’s started every game so far in the Premier League, making 10 appearances all told.
With the Man United still depleted in defence – and without fellow fullbacks Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, in particular – while they’ll be glad to hear Mazraoui is ok, his impending absence following the operation isn’t exactly ideal timing.
The Red Devils struggled with injury and fitness problems for much of the previous campaign and look to be following a similar pattern this season. Players are also being recalled to Carrington during the international break as they often did when pressure was building under Sir Alex Ferguson.
ℹ️ @AmadDiallo_19 has withdrawn from Ivory Coast's upcoming internationals.#MUFC
On the upside for United fans, centre-back Leny Yoro, who was ruled out for three months following surgery of his own following a footy injury picked up during a pre-season game, looks to be on course regarding his recovery.
The 19-year-old Frenchman shared a video of his rehabilitation on social media and though there is still no clear indication of when exactly he will be able to play his first real minutes of the club, manager Erik ten Hag recently said: “He is in the right spot, and he will return as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, with no wins in the last five games across all competitions, the Dutchman is still very much under the cosh and could do without any more players missing from his squad.
Danny Jones -
26th September 2024 
