FIVE Man United stars are handed second-lowest grade possible in brutal Bild player ratings – and even goalscorers are ‘average’ – as European papers slam ‘small team’ who ‘psychologically collapsed’
- Manchester United were beaten 4-3 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League
- Their performance in Munich has been heavily criticised by the European press
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off!
Five of Manchester United players have been brutally handed woeful grades by German newspaper Bild following their performances in their 4-3 defeat by Bayern Munich.
Erik ten Hag’s men were well-beaten by Harry Kane’s Bayern on Wednesday night despite the close scoreline and the defeat means the struggling Red Devils have now lost four of their first six games in 2023-24, including three in a row.
And nearly half of United’s starting XI for the clash at the Allianz Arena have been given Bild’s second-lowest grade possible in their player ratings following the game.
Four of the five United players given a ‘5’ by Bild – with 1 being their best rating and 6 being the worst – were predictably in defence after Bayern picked them apart with ease.
United’s new £47.2million goalkeeper Andre Onana was given the low score for his calamitous mistake for Bayern’s first goal, after Leroy Sane’s shot squirmed under his gloves and rolled into the back of his net.
Five of Manchester United’s players received the second-lowest grade by Bild in their ratings
United goalkeeper Andre Onana was one of the five players to receive the damning rating
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He has now leaked 14 goals in six games since replacing David de Gea.
Both centre backs, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Linelof, were also given the paltry scores while Diogo Dalot was hammered for his performance by the German newspaper.
Bild score players on a 1-6 scale – with ‘1’ being the highest grade a player or manager can receive while ‘6’ being the lowest
Facundo Pellistri also failed to escape the damning low score as he filled in for Antony on the right-hand side.
Ten Hag himself received the second-lowest rating possible despite his side’s late comeback that left them to within one goal of tying it up in the dying moments.
Sergio Reguilon and Christian Eriksen were both give 4s while the rest of United’s starting XI – Ramus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro – all received the average score of 3 by Bild.
And it wasn’t just the German press that laid into the Red Devils following the shocking defensive display in Munich.
Spanish sports newspaper Marca ruthlessly labelled United a ‘small team’ after shipping four goals.
Marca’s Ramon Garcia wrote: ‘The Dutch coach [Ten Hag] closes one of the most difficult weeks in memory at Old Trafford for the Red Devils in Munich. Manchester United came out to the Allianz Arena as the big team it is supposed to be, but each blow from Bayern turned it into a small one little by little.’
French news outlet L’Equipe – famous for their own brutal player ratings – claimed the result plunged United a ‘little deeper into crisis’ while Italian paper La Gazzetta dello Sport echoed Paul Scholes’ comments, claiming the team ‘collapsed psychologically’.
Onana allowed Leroy Sane’s weak effort through his grasp to gift Bayern Munich a lead
Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Diogo Dalot and Facundo Pellistri received the low score
United went 2-0 down at the Allianz Arena after Onana’s howler gifted Sane the opener in the 28th minute before Serge Gnabry doubled the host’s advantage four minutes later.
They pulled one back through new £72million striker Hojlund but again wilted after Kane’s controversial penalty restored Bayern’s two-goal lead.
Casemiro scored two late goals for Ten Hag’s team, either side of Mathys Tel adding a fourth for the hosts in stoppage time.
Speaking on TNT Sports, former Man United star Scholes claimed his former side were guilty of collapsing in adversity.
Scholes conceded United had done well to score three times against the German champions on their home turf but believes Bayern could have inflicted even more damage on Ten Hag’s under-pressure team.
Bruno Fernandes (left) helped restore a little bit of pride as United clawed back late goals
Paul Scholes’ comments of United collapsing easily was echoed by the European press
‘There is a weakness to them,’ Scholes said. ‘There is a soft underbelly and they do seem to collapse a bit when things are going wrong.
Erik ten Hag was also given a low score by Bild in their ratings on Wednesday
‘They scored three goals and that is good, but I felt Bayern could then turn it on and score another.
‘I thought there was a big distance between the teams, in that second half especially.
‘First half I thought they did well but still conceded two goals through a lack of concentration.
‘There is experience in the team but I don’t think it is being used. Concentration in Europe is so important, once you concede one goal, it can turn into two and three.
‘None of those centre halves are saying “look Casemiro and Eriksen get in here”.
‘Are Casemiro and Eriksen saying to the wide players come in next to me, lets calm the game down?’
The result only heaps more pressure on Ten Hag, who is facing huge issues both on and off the pitch as he desperately tries to turn the club around.
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