Manchester United need a lift but FC Porto won’t be pushovers – opinion | OneFootball

Manchester United need a statement performance in Porto this evening.

The Reds have started the new season poorly and have already dropped points in the Europa League, drawing 1-1 against Dutch opposition FC Twente at Old Trafford last week.

United’s best performance in Europe under Erik ten Hag came in his first season when his side beat Barcelona over two legs. From the 2-2 draw in the Nou Camp to overcoming the La Liga giants at Old Trafford, United shined on the European stage but haven’t been able to replicate those standards since.

FC Porto go into the game with a decent record at home. They’ve won their last eight matches at the Estadio do Dragao, excluding finals, and their objective tonight will be to take advantage of United and cause an upset.

Fans’ patience has worn thin with the manager just two months into the new season. We were expecting vast improvements on last season but are still waiting for our first standout performance of the season against decent opposition.

The 7-0 win over Barnsley was entertaining, but that won’t save Ten Hag from getting sacked.

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The media believe Ten Hag has two games to save his job, although neither the manager or the team can afford to take their eye off the ball after such a slow start to the season. His message last season was to take each game at a time and we’re sadly back in that boat feeling desperate for results.

Expectations need to be lifted before the 2024/25 campaign is written off. INEOS spent a lot of money during the summer and their satisfactory levels must be running low. Furthermore, I want to make plans for Bilbao next May.

Hopefully, a positive result against Porto can lift momentum, but we’ve still got to travel to Villa Park at the weekend after their 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

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