- Manchester United have been knocked out of the Champions League
- Kingsley Coman’s goal inflicted a one-goal defeat on United at Old Trafford
- Back off Erik ten Hag! Insipid Man United performances are on the players – not the manager – Listen to why on It’s All Kicking Off
Erik ten Hag insisted he had no regrets after Manchester United made a sorry exit from Europe on Tuesday night.
A 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at Old Trafford consigned United to last place in their Champions League group for only the second time as they finished with the club’s lowest ever points total.
United also missed out on the consolation of the Europa League spot as Kingsley Coman’s 70th-minute strike inflicted a 12th defeat in 24 games on Ten Hag’s side this season.
Asked how he looked back on a miserable Group A campaign, Ten Hag said: ‘Not with regret. We didn’t make it, but we have to accept it. We have to learn from it.
‘We played some good football in the Champions League. We have to take some good performances into the Premier League. We want to be back in the Champions League.
‘We didn’t lose it today, that’s clear. We had good performances but also we made mistakes. In the end it was not good enough.
‘The facts are we do not have enough points. We are disappointed as a group, as a manager, I am disappointed. We should have done better.’
United only had one shot on target in a game they had to win to have any chance of going through.
Coman’s winner meant they conceded 15 goals in the group stage, more than any other English club in Champions League history.
‘Today’s performance was very good. We didn’t deserve to lose, but we lost the game,’ added Ten Hag.
‘But also Bayern is a good team. Even when they are not in the game, they have individual class and just need one moment. Unfortunately that happened.
‘We know we want to be more consistent. As manager I have to improve the team, I have to guide them and the players have to take the responsibility. We have to do that together.’ There was more bad news for Ten Hag when Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw became the latest casualties of an injury-hit season.
Both England defenders were hurt in the first half and are now set to miss Sunday’s clash with arch-rivals Liverpool at Anfield when captain Bruno Fernandes will also be suspended.
‘We have to wait 24 hours for an assessment,’ said Ten Hag who was also without Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial through illness.
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel admitted that he expected United to be challenging Bayern more closely for qualification to the knockout stage.
‘Yeah, this is a huge club and not what you expect,’ said Tuchel. ‘In the group you expect United challenging for the win of the group and a place in the round of 16, but some of the matches changed in the blink of an eye.
‘Of course, I have sympathy (for Ten Hag). It is not an easy time but I am pretty sure he knows what to do next and he does not need my advice or clapping on the shoulders. He is experienced enough to go through it.’
England captain Harry Kane, who set up the Coman’s goal, added: ‘It felt like we controlled the game and had the better chances. We were calm and we knew in the quick transitions we could hurt them.’
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
