It leaves United winless from their opening three matches and 21st in the league phase standings.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag’s side are also in the bottom half of the Premier League eight games into his third season as manager.
Following their draw in Turkey, Paul Scholes was asked if he has seen any improvement in style or performances so far this term.
The 11-time Premier League winner told TNT Sports: “No, not yet.
Advertisement
“I think they have played in spells where they’ve looked okay. They have missed a lot of chances as well.
“But I think league position tells you everything. And I’m talking about both leagues, 11th in the Premier League, 21st in the Europa League.
“There’s been no improvement. I think that’s the biggest disappointment with two and a little bit years in, a lot of money has been spent and we’re not seeing improvement.
“You’d like to think by now they’re up there challenging them. The top three teams I know Liverpool, City and Arsenal are ahead of most other teams.
“You’d like to see them getting even a little bit closer to that, but it doesn’t feel like it.
“I do actually think on Saturday they got closer to having the best team out, which has been a while.
Manchester United vs Fenerbahce: Player Ratings (1)
“I think Luke Shaw still needs to come into that. They’ve got the young lad Leny Yoro who will probably come into that.
Advertisement
“Mainoo back into midfield and I thought there were signs, second half especially, that they scored two really good goals which excited you. So look fingers crossed they can go on and improve.”
United were pegged back during the second half in Istanbul after Christian Eriksen’s early opener.
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.
Advertisement
Diogo Dalot – 5
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.
Advertisement
Missed a few chances from set-pieces after the break.
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.
Advertisement
Lisandro Martinez – 5
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.
Advertisement
Manuel Ugarte – 6
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
Advertisement
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.
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.
Advertisement
Didn’t make too much of an impact on the game.
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.
Advertisement
Joshua Zirkzee – 5
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.
McLaren Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri says he has no intention of seeking Red Bull talks and is “very happy where I am”.
Piastri has long been on Red Bull’s radar as a future option, and in a recent interview, Red Bull driver advisor Helmut Marko said Piastri’s manager Mark Webber was keen to have a conversation about the 23-year-old’s future.
But Piastri, who has a contract with the Woking-based team until the end of 2026, says he is perfectly happy to stay where he is, having taken his first two career wins in his second season with McLaren this year.
When asked in Mexico if Red Bull was on his horizon for the future, the Australian replied: “Definitely not. I’m very happy where I am. I’m under contract for the next two years after this. I’m certainly not looking to go elsewhere.
Advertisement
“It wouldn’t be a weekend in F1 without some comments from Helmut.”
Piastri, who won in Hungary and Azerbaijan, said he was “not massively” surprised by Red Bull’s interest but treated it as a sign of respect.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, wave to the crowd on the drivers’ parade
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“It’s a nice compliment I would say,” he added. “But again, I’m very happy with where I am and they have quite a big pool of drivers they can choose from.”
Advertisement
Piastri’s comments come in the wake of him being asked to support Lando Norris in the drivers’ championship, as his team-mate still has a chance to dislodge odds-on title favourite Max Verstappen.
“Max is a very straightforward guy,” Piastri said in Austin about Verstappen’s comments. “Says what he thinks, we all know that.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 2nd position, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, and Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 3rd position, on the podium
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar
Advertisement
“In my position, I don’t see it as being a number one, number two. If I put in good performances and deserve them on merit…Baku was a perfect example, really, of not giving up everything this season purely for the benefit of Lando and trying to help the team as best as I can.
“So, it’s not simply number one number two. We still have the same car. We still have the same opportunities. I appreciate [Max’s] support, but it’s not really how I feel.”
Norris’ title chances took a hit after finishing behind Verstappen in both Austin’s sprint race and grand prix, meaning he now trails the triple world champion by 57 points with five rounds remaining.
Read Also:
Uncapped England winger Liam Marshall has missed out on a place in the 19-man matchday squad for Sunday’s first Test against Samoa.
Marshall, 28, finished the domestic season as Super League’s leading try-scorer – with 27 – and helped Wigan complete a quadruple.
But he is one of five players in head coach Shaun Wane’s 24-man squad for the two-Test series who will not feature this weekend.
Warrington’s Danny Walker, Huddersfield’s Chris Hill and Canberra Raiders’ Morgan Smithies will also sit out the match, as will Wigan’s Luke Thompson, who is suspended.
Advertisement
Marshall’s Wigan club-mate Junior Nsemba, the other uncapped player called up by Wane for the series, has made the matchday squad.
Nsemba, 20, was named Super League’s Young Player of the Year earlier this month.
Wane said: “I’ve had to make some difficult decisions selecting my squad for this weekend as we have real competition for places and everyone across the 24-man squad can make a strong case to be involved.
“I’m really happy with how we’ll line-up on Sunday and I’m confident in the players I have picked to rise to what will be a tough challenge against Samoa.”
Advertisement
Dom Young is one of five NRL players in the matchday squad, and will make his first England appearance since the World Cup semi-final defeat by Samoa two years ago, as will Herbie Farnworth and Kai Pearce-Paul.
Young missed last autumn’s home Test series against Tonga because of a serious sinus virus that spread and left him in hospital.
ABU DHABI – Robert Whittaker has been to the top of the mountain, and he could be on the cusp of going back.
And because of that, in part, it’s likely the former UFC middleweight titleholder has found a way to stay grounded in pursuit of another title shot. But he also thinks a dramatic change in his life outside the sport was instrumental.
Figuring out how to balance MMA with kids and family life is what helps set him apart, he thinks.
“The big part of it is all about redefining drives and goals,” Whittaker said at Wednesday’s media day for UFC 308. “I’ve been in the UFC for a long time. You don’t see a lot of fighters stay in the UFC for as long as I have at the caliber and the level that I’ve been at. I think I owe a lot of that to just being able to redefine my goals, redefine my drive.”
Advertisement
Whittaker (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) on Saturday has just the latest big test in his career when he takes on unbeaten fellow title contender Khamzat Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) co-main event at Etihad Arena.
Chimaev is more than a 2-1 favorite at the betting window, and that part is slightly new to Whittaker. He’s only been an underdog once in the past seven years, and that was his rematch with Israel Adesanya in an attempt to win back the middleweight title he lost to him in 2019.
But the life circumstances Whittker cares most about, he thinks help him in the cage, too.
“When I started my career, I didn’t have kids,” Whittaker said. “So the introduction of kids during that period, it’s mind-blowing. And anyone that has kids will understand – it changes you. I think a lot of fighters struggle with change … But I’ve made those changes to my family.
Advertisement
“I understand what is important in life. I have my priorities straight, and I guess to sum it up, I understand what I’m fighting for. I fight for my family. It wouldn’t make sense not to spend time with them at the cost of fighting.”
Check out Whittaker’s full media day interview above.
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.
We have some incredible news to share! At the Believe Sports Awards 2024, hosted at The Edge in Wigan, Black Scorpion Karate CIC was honoured with the prestigious Club of the Year award! We are absolutely over the moon about this recognition and couldn’t be prouder of our amazing community.
This achievement is a true reflection of the dedication, passion, and hard work of everyone involved in the Black Scorpion family—our students, their supportive families, our phenomenal instructors, coaches, and volunteers who are the backbone of our club. You are the heart and soul of everything we do, and this award belongs to each and every one of you. Your contribution to this journey is immeasurable, and for that, we say a huge THANK YOU!
Our Success is a Collective Victory
This award isn’t just a shiny trophy—it’s a celebration of the everyday victories we witness within our club. We don’t need awards to know we’re succeeding; we see it in our students’ smiles when they master a new technique, the bonds we build within our community, and the passion radiating from every class. But this recognition is certainly the cherry on top!
We also want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our friends and supporters within the wider karate community. Your encouragement and backing have been a cornerstone of our success, and we sincerely appreciate the continued collaboration and camaraderie we share.
Advertisement
Looking Forward to More Growth and Impact
This award marks an important milestone for us. It celebrates the start of our second decade as a club and highlights the beginning of our journey as a Community Interest Company (CIC). We’ve always aimed to make a positive impact. Now, as Wigan’s official Club of the Year, we’re more motivated than ever to continue growing, inspiring, and enriching the lives of our students and the broader community.
From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU for being part of this incredible journey. Here’s to many more years of growth, inspiration, and shared success. Together, we are unstoppable.
Here’s to the future of Black Scorpion Karate Club—onward and upward!
ABU DHABI – UFC 308 ceremonial fighter weigh-ins take place Friday, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on MMA Junkie at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT).
The weigh-ins take place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event (pay-per-view, ESPN+).
His view seemed to be supported by the fact that team-mate George Russell had had a near identical crash at the same Turn 19 in qualifying.
With Russell’s accident damaging his own new parts, which have been flown back to the team factory for repairs and should be ready for Brazil, Mercedes had to make a choice for Mexico as to which of its two drivers would have the upgrades.
Advertisement
The squad has agreed that Hamilton will stick with the latest parts, with Russell running the previous specification which should provide some valuable back-to-back data on whether or not the new upgrade is working as hoped.
Having now looked more closely at the data, Hamilton thinks that the Austin difficulties were likely the result of the track being so bumpy, rather than there being a fault with the upgrades.
“We can see in the data that we have three wheeling, so the left wheel starts moving,” said Hamilton. “The car is jacking, basically.
“We can see on the rear, the right height oscillating a lot, so 12 to 15mm difference going into the corner. And you can see a 40 kilometre [per hour] tail wind.
Advertisement
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, retires from the race in the gravel after a spin
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“So you can imagine, there’s a small window where the downforce is perfect, and then it gets too high. Then you fall off the peak, so I think it was a combination of all those things.
“If you watch the video, the car is bouncing, the left wheel starts bouncing, and then I think we just lose load, and I think the floor is probably a little bit more sensitive maybe than the previous floor.
“But I’ve kept it on this weekend because it’s a much less bouncy circuit, and it’s good because we need to get more data on it.”
Advertisement
Russell echoed Hamilton’s view that having packages split across both Mercedes should help fast track the team’s learnings on where it sits with its latest upgrade package.
His suspicion is that Austin was much more about the team having been too bold with its set-up, rather than it being a fault of new parts.
“Having had a few days to review everything from Austin, I think it’s fair to say we were sailing a bit too close to the wind with how we set our car up,” he said.
“We were setting up really aggressive, really close to the ground, and it clearly bit Lewis and I over the course of Saturday and Sunday. But when we could get around the lap, we showed real signs of strong performance.
Advertisement
“I think this weekend in Mexico is going to be a good opportunity to see across the two cars. Obviously, we’ve only got one upgrade this weekend and, as I was the one who damaged it last week, Lewis got the choice and elected to use the new one.”
Antonelli factor
Hamilton is sitting out opening practice for the Mexico, with rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli having another run for the squad ahead of his debut in place of Ferrari-bound Hamilton next year.
But, after the Italian’s debut FP1 appearance in Italy ended with a high-speed crash into the barriers after 10 minutes aboard Russell’s car, Hamilton says he has advised the 18-year-old to not feel the need to impress so early on this time out.
Asked if he had any concerns about handing over his upgraded car to Antonelli, Hamilton said: “I don’t really personally feel that. Again, going into Monza, we didn’t approach it in that way.
Advertisement
“Kimi is young, and he’s learned from his first outing in Monza. We did our briefing together, because obviously he’s working with Bono next year, and obviously I’m here to support in any way I can.
“I think what’s key is, and as I spoke to him, he doesn’t have to set the world alight on the first lap. Just build into it, enjoy it. I told him the track is really, really dirty early on.”
Watch: McLaren and Red Bull Summoned by the Stewards – F1 Mexican GP Media Day Reaction
You must be logged in to post a comment Login