‘Manchester United crumbles like a rich tea biscuit!’ – Karen Carney criticizes team’s first-half performance against Porto

Karen Carney scathingly criticized Manchester United’s players for their lackluster first-half performance against Porto, comparing Erik ten Hag’s side to a fragile, crumbling rich tea biscuit.

United flew out of the blocks and appeared to be fighting for an under-fire Ten Hag, with the Dutchman reportedly given two games to save his job ahead of this evening’s Europa League group-stage contest.

Marcus Rashford started brightly and opened the scoring after just seven minutes, dancing around several Porto defenders before beating Diogo Costa at his near post to silence the Estadio do Dragao.

The Red Devils looked to be cruising towards a comfortable victory as Rasmus Hojlund doubled the visitors lead on the 20-minute mark but Porto soon halved the deficit before piling the pressure on as the first half wore on.

Samu Omorodion – who came close to join Chelsea in the summer – looked lively throughout the opening 45 minutes and the young striker was rewarded for his good work as capitalised on yet more lacklustre United defending to head home a deserved equaliser.

Ten Hag cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as United were once again guilty of letting a lead slip and former Lionesses star Carney had little sympathy in the TNT Sports studio at the half-time break.

‘I messaged someone, they’re like a rich tea biscuit! They crumble,’ he said.

‘That goal they conceded, the first one, is concentration from Manchester United.

‘They just switch off, they lose control. In the 18-yard box they’re not getting tight, they’re not picking up first and second balls.

‘Okay, it comes back to Joao Mario… crosses from outside the box is a massive problem. You know that Samu Omorodion is massive.

‘I’m highlighting [Matthijs] De Ligt here, he’s on the six-yard line, at no point to they squeeze. There’s so many things wrong with that clip.’

Carney accused United’s players of lacking the ‘hunger’ and ‘desire’ to keep out the opposition when it mattered most.

‘That is concentration. It’s hunger and desire to stop the crosses,’ she added.

‘Porto have targeted Dalot and Martinez from wide areas, put it on them, and that last 20 minutes… it’s like a see-saw from Manchester United. You don’t know what you’re going to get.’

Former United midfielder, Owen Hargreaves, agreed and said the side’s tendency to concede twice in quick succession had become a real problem under Ten Hag.

‘That’s been one of the biggest issues, when they concede one sometimes they concede a second,’ he stated.

‘That’s exactly what happened here.’

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