Having conceded 17 goals on their previous five trips overseas, this was actually a pretty respectable effort from Ten Hag’s dysfunctional team – who have now drawn three out of three in the Europa League and face a battle to avoid a humiliating early elimination.
They have now failed to win in European competition for an entire year, since a 1-0 home win over Copenhagen on October 24, 2023.
Istanbul has provided plenty of fire-pit nights for United both here at Fenerbahce, where they were once thumped 3-0 under Sir Alex Ferguson, and at Galatasaray, the venue for their original ‘Welcome To Hell’ trip back in the 90s.
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So despite Ten Hag fielding a full-back as a ‘false ten’ and dropping Rasmus Hojlund, they ended up relieved to avoid defeat.
Mourinho, of course, is never knowingly upstaged and the tantrum he chucked when Bright Osayi-Samuel was denied a second-half penalty earned him a place in the stands.
He speaks plenty of languages, the Special One. And two of them are ‘foul’ and ‘abusive’.
The Sukru Saracoglu Stadium was packed and raucous well before kick-off.
When United were in possession, the shrill whistling of the home crowd perforated eardrums.
But it was Fenerbahce who set the early pace – especially their former Newcastle box-of-frogs Allan Saint-Maximin – all nutmegs, shoulder drops and slalom runs at the United defence.
Former QPR man Osayi-Samuel skinned Lisandro Martinez but shot into the side-netting.
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This was no stereotypically negative Mourinho team.
And Rashford had just been booked for a foul on Sebastian Szymanski when, against the run of play, United fashioned a fine counter-attacking goal.
Manuel Ugarte won possession, Alejandro Garnacho sprinted down the left and Mazraoui fed Joshua Zirkzee, who cut back for Eriksen to thump his shot into the corner of the net.
Furious Jose Mourinho’s CUTTING dig at referee Clement Turpin after red card vs Man Utd
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JOSE MOURINHO launched a sarcastic blast at ref Clement Turpin after he was red-carded in his clash with former club Manchester United.
The Fenerbahce boss saw his side fight back to earn a point as United tossed away the lead for a third successive drawn Europa League match.
Mourinho was sent to the stands after raging against Turpin’s failure to award a penalty against Manuel Ugarte for a challenge on Bright Osayi-Samuel.
And Mourinho scowled: “The referee told me something incredible. He said at the same time he could see the action in the box and my behaviour on the touchline.
“I congratulate him because he is absolutely incredible. During the game, 100 miles per hour, he had one eye on the penalty situation and one eye on my behaviour on the bench. That’s the explanation he gave me.
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“That is why he is one of the best referees in the world!”
Rashford ought to have doubled the lead soon after, cutting inside from the right but screwing his shot just wide of the far post.
But United were still having to defend with guts and with desperation – especially when Ugarte produced an outstanding sliding block to deny Dusan Tadic from close range.
Mourinho was doing his conkers at this – and soon started berating the fourth official after Zirkzee went down injured.
First, the Moroccan centre-forward’s downward header was met with a gob-smacking tumbling stop, then the Cameroonian keeper leapt to his feet to push away a second nodded effort after Tadic had teed up En-Nesyri again.
The striker grinned as if he had just fallen victim to a strange optical illusion. And perhaps he had.
United led at the break but then they had often done so during their shocking recent run of European trips.
Man Utd ratings vs Fenerbahce: Onana saves the day for Red Devils as Lindelof has a stinker
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MANCHESTER UNITED were held to a 1-1 draw by Fenerbahce on a disappointing night in Turkey.
Christian Eriksen broke the deadlock for Erik ten Hag’s side in the first half before En-Nesyri levelled soon after the break.
Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands in the second half after a touchline tantrum.
But the Red Devils could find a much-needed winner for Erik ten Hag.
Made an outstanding double save in the 37th minute to keep two attempts from Youssef En-Nesyri out.
His defenders could’ve done much better to prevent Fenerbahce’s goal.
Diogo Dalot – 5
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Failed to track back at times and had his blushes saved in the first half by Ugarte, who made a crucial tackle on Dusan Tadic to prevent a goal.
Matthijs de Ligt – 6
Made some good blocks during the first half to keep Fenerbahce at bay.
Missed a few chances from set-pieces after the break.
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Victor Lindelof – 4
Failed to follow En-Nesyri for Fenerbahce’s opening goal and made no attempt to win the ball.
Hauled off in the 54th minute.
Lisandro Martinez – 5
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Like Lindelof, he did not apply any pressure to En-Nesyri for the hosts’ first goal. Poor communication from both.
Christian Eriksen – 7
Broke the deadlock for United with a great strike into the top-left corner from the edge of the box.
Manuel Ugarte – 6
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Won the ball in the build-up to the first goal and saved Man Utd from conceding with a fantastic last-ditch tackle in front of goal in the 22nd minute.
Was lucky to avoid giving away a penalty after the break.
Noussair Mazraoui – 6
Didn’t look too out of place starting in the No10 position. Played a role in the build-up to the goal, passing the ball to Zirkzee who got the assist.
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Eventually moved into left-back, allowing Martinez to move central.
Marcus Rashford – 5
Played out of preferred position and started on the right as opposed to the left.
Didn’t make too much of an impact on the game.
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Alejandro Garnacho – 6
Played a key role in the build-up to Erikson’s goal by making a direct run into the box.
Challenged Dominik Livakovic a few times and looked lively.
Joshua Zirkzee – 5
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A poor overall performance from the striker despite providing the assist for Eriksen’s opener.
Failed to make much of an impact and was hauled off in the 54th minute.
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Andre Onana produced a thrilling double saveCredit: AP
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Mourinho could only laugh at the goalkeeper’s heroicsCredit: TNT Sport
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The Red Devils stars hailed Onana as United led at the breakCredit: Reuters
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Antony had to be taken off on a stretcher near the endCredit: EPA
Mourinho had slapped Onana on the back in the tunnel at half-time but within four minutes of the restart, the United keeper was powerless to stop Fenerbahce equalising.
Saint-Maximin delivered the deep cross from the left and En-Nesyri, with another downward header, managed to avoid another miracle and beat Onana at the third time of asking.
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In the stands, the drums were thudding, the punters were bouncing and United knew they were up against it on foreign soil yet again.
Ten Hag responded by abandoning the Marzaroui ‘false ten’ experiment – bringing on Hojlund and Casemiro for Zirkzee and Victor Lindelof in a major reshuffle.
Then came Mourinho’s ejection from his technical area – the Fenerbahce boss raging at an unrequited penalty appeal when Ugarte upended Osayi-Samuel.
It was a decent shout followed by some indecent shouts from Mourinho, who was sent packing to the stands after a lengthy exchange of opinions with ref Clement Turpin.
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Would he be smuggled back into the dugout in a laundry basket, one of the tricks he used to defy a touchline ban during his Chelsea days?
Rashford then skewed an excellent close-range chance and Mazraoui, despite reverting to left-back, had a long-ranger turned over the bar.
With United’s players now playing in their correct positions, they began to get the upper hand. Matthijs De Ligt should have scored with a header, Hojlund forced a save.
Then Antony was carted off on a stretcher late on, to add to Ten Hag’s injury woes as it finished a stalemate.
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His mood worsened when Fenerbahce did not get a penalty as Manuel Ugarte challenged Bright Osayi-SamuelCredit: TNT Sports
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Referee Clement Turpin brandished the red card for the Special OneCredit: EPA
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He was spotted sulking in the standsCredit: TNT Sports
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Mourinho ended up sitting on a staircaseCredit: TNT Sports
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Eriksen blasted into the top corner in styleCredit: AP
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Youssef En-Nesyri headed Fenerbahce level just after half-timeCredit: EPA
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Onana could not produce another memorable save to prevent the equaliserCredit: Reuters
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Erik ten Hag’s experiment didn’t work as plannedCredit: EPA
CHELSEA have splashed the cash on wonderkids over the last few transfer windows – but their biggest star could already be at the club.
Meet 15-year-old Ibrahim Rabbaj, whose diminutive dribbles and wand of a left foot have him compared to Lionel Messi.
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Ibrahim Rabbaj is England and Chelsea’s future starCredit: Instagram @ibz_cfc
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The youngster has been tearing up youth-team football with his unstoppable dribbling and clinical left footCredit: Getty
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Rabbaj with ex-Chelsea star and fellow Moroccan Hakim ZiyechCredit: @ibz_cfc
The youngster has scored a sensational 52 goals in 40 games.
Add a whopping 60 assists to those stats and it is clear to see why he has been called up to the England Under-16s squad, with him also eligible for Morroco.
PLAYING STYLE
Already there have been numerous comparisons to Messi. Not just the hair either which is cut into that distinctive bob-style like Leo.
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Being mentioned in the same breath as arguably the greatest player of all time piles on the pressure of expectation and prompts opponents to kick lumps out of you.
He is diminutive and operates in the middle or outside on the right.
Rabbaj loves creating, passing, making things happen and scoring.
He is excellent at one on ones and his preferred job is to cut in from the right side, onto his left foot and find the opposite bottom corner of the net.
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Dare we say it, but a bit like Cole Palmer and former Chelsea great Arjen Robben.
Despite being on the small side, Ibrahim uses his body strength well playing for Chelsea and England Under-16s. He has been in every international camp for the past year.
RISE TO THE TOP
One of six kids in his family and raised in Ashford, Kent, he was picked up by Charlton aged seven and went to pre-academy.
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Their South London neighbours, Crystal Palace then swooped for him and he was there until aged around 12.
A look at Chelsea’s forgotten wonderkids
He came to the attention of Chelsea during Covid but was still signed by The Blues because they felt a duty to give the young lad a sense of belonging, even though with the pandemic in full swing, there was not even any training to be done.
His dad is Moroccan and he could play for them but so far has represented England. Ironically, even scoring one of his best goals to date against his ancestral homeland.
Rabbaj is at Chelsea full-time now, including for his schooling and lives with eight other boys with a host family. GCSEs beckon next summer.
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EXPERTS’ VIEW
He has played for Chelsea U17s in pre-season during mixed age group games. A ‘classic no.10’, it will be interesting to see as he gets older how he handles the age gap.
Those closest to the player want to see him let loose through the middle of the pitch in order to drive at opponents and recreate the days of old when players of smaller stature could use their mobility and technical ability to great advantage against bigger opponents.
The people around Ibrahim want to see him operate like Romania legend Gheorghe Hagi, or Yossi Benayoun, who may be more familiar to Premier League fans.
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He has been compared to Lionel MessiCredit: Instagram @ibz_cfc
WHAT’S NEXT?
Crunch time approaches when he should be offered at least a scholarship by Chelsea but in football who knows?
The club lost winger Rio Ngumoha to Liverpool recently, who slipped through the net, so Chelsea’s youth coaches need to stay on their toes.
Retained youth players get two years with a scholarship. The best are offered a year ‘pro’ on top of that. Which would mean Rabbaj would effectively become a professional footballer at 17.
Sometimes clubs even offer just one year scholarship and two years of a pro contract.
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Rabbaj is exciting to watch and considered by those who watch him regularly as a hugely exciting talent.
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He is eligible for England and MorroccoCredit: Instagram @ibz_cfc
It is the loss to Haney last December which has looked particularly damaging to the American’s prospects.
Knocked down in round three before losing on points, Prograis was far away from his flamboyant best in a sluggish display and was dominated by Haney.
Prograis told BBC Sport that changes behind the scenes before the Haney fight had hindered him, saying he had spent the build-up to fighting Catterall “getting back to being me, getting back to what took me to the top”.
“For the Haney camp I changed everything,” he said.
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Prograis explained he switched up his team for Haney, including having his head coach and an assistant swap roles. For Catterall, he has changed everything back while admitting: “I don’t know why I did that.”
He also shortened his camp, having trained for three months before fighting Haney – something which affected his mental health.
When Catterall’s injury meant an August fight was postponed to October, Prograis “took a little vacation” from his camp in Las Vegas.
“I really needed that mentally, that made a big difference because I couldn’t train that whole time. In camp I train three or four times a day, that’s a lot,” Prograis said.
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“So I took off, I chilled, and came back way stronger.”
Another major change for Prograis in 2024 has seen him employ a manager, having previously represented himself in negotiations.
He says that had been another error, and that being able to hand off his business matters means he can relax before a fight which is must-win if he is to remain a contender at the elite level.
“I’ve made enough money, I’m good for the rest of my life, so now I’m boxing to enjoy myself,” Prograis said.
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“I was trying to be a businessman and a boxer before, doing everything myself, telling people in interviews I didn’t need a manager – I definitely do!”
A proud New Orleans native, Prograis told the BBC in 2019 that he was fighting for the city, still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Five years on, Prograis says he is fighting only for himself.
“I always have my people, but I did that already,” he said. “This is for me, because I love it.”
While Team India was taking on New Zealand in Maharashtra, Australian batting great Micheal Clarke made news in the country on Wednesday for his comments on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Former Australian captain Clarke used a cuss word while talking about the Australian squad for the upcoming Test series against India. Clarke strongly argued that the Australian selectors need to bring in a specialist opener to take on Rohit Sharma and Co. as the experiment using Steve Smith in the slot failed to yield the desired results. The Baggy Greens should give an in-form player from the domestic circuit a call-up instead of asking batters to change their regular position, he said.
Clarke told Sky Sports Radio that Australia made a mistake by asking Steve Smith to open the innings. “We made a mistake in getting Steve Smith to open the batting in Test cricket, so let’s not make the same mistake. Let’s pick a specialist opener, whoever is best equipped,” he said.
Elaborating further, Clarke said Cameron Bancroft deserves to open for Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. “I would probably go with Cameron Bancroft because he’s been the leading run scorer for the last two years in Shield cricket. I care about Shield cricket. I think he’s earned the right to be selected based on runs,” the multiple World Cup winner said.
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Clarke argued that players like Josh Inglis, who has been successful down the order can’t be promoted to open the innings. An in-form middle-order batter can’t be asked to open against a quality international side just because your specialist openers are struggling in the Shiled to make runs. It is in this context that Clarke made a derogatory remark on air.
“…It’s not just about who’s making runs right here, right now. That is not how you select an Australian cricket team.
…The problem they (Australia) have at the moment is the top three contenders who are specialist opening batters are not making runs in Shield cricket.”Who gives a s**t? It’s been two Shield rounds on wickets that are seaming — who cares? It can’t just be about making runs in the two Shield games,” Micheal Clarke said.
Since Steven Smith was part of the conversation, many who didn’t hear the radio programme in full thought he used the cuss word to abuse his former teammate Smith.
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The first Test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy is scheduled to start at Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 22.
LEICESTER and Nottingham Forest clash in Friday’s East Midlands derby at the King Power Stadium.
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ABU DHABI – Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev is one step closer to finally coming to fruition after both made weight on Friday ahead of the UFC 308 co-main event.
After unbeaten sensation Chimaev (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) pulled out of the original date in June, all signs point to him returning to the octagon after he hit the middleweight mark for his matchup against former champion Whittaker (26-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) during official weigh-ins at the UFC host hotel ahead of Saturday’s event, which goes down at Etihad Arena on Yas Island (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+).
Whittaker stepped on the scale at 185.5 pounds, while Chimaev registered at 186 pounds for the five-round showdown, which could serve as a title eliminator the for expected Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland championship rematch.
Check out the video above to see Whittaker and Chimaev make weight for the UFC 308 co-headliner.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
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