Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag after the final whistle in Porto.
(Image: Florencia Tan Jun - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

What Erik ten Hag and Ruud van Nistelrooy did to Man United squad after Porto draw

by · Manchester Evening News

A late Harry Maguire equaliser saved Manchester United's blushes in their Europa League clash against Porto on Thursday night.

United went into the game in Portugal looking to bounce back from a disappointing 3-0 Premier League reverse against Tottenham at the weekend. That result piled the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag with talk swirling over his future at Old Trafford.

Things started well for United with Marcus Rashford handing them the lead after seven minutes. Rasmus Hojlund then scored his first goal of the season to make it 2-0, with 20 minutes on the clock, with any pressure seemingly beginning to ease.

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But it didn't take Porto long to draw level. Pepe got his side's first goal, with Samu Omorodion then making it 2-2 before half-time.

Things got worse for United in the second half when Omorodion scored his second goal of the game to complete the turnaround - or so it seemed. As United searched for an equaliser in the second half, they were reduced to ten men for the second game in a row.

After seeing red against Tottenham, it was a similar story for Bruno Fernandes against Porto. Their playmaker was shown a second yellow card in the 81st minute.

United seemed to be heading for defeat, but second-half substitute Maguire stepped up to head home from a set piece in the 91st minute. The result means that Ten Hag's side have taken two points from their opening two league games, while it also increases their winless run to four matches in all competitions.

Despite the late equaliser, the manager and his assistant, Ruud van Nistelrooy, seem to have made a clear point to their players. As journalists waited for post-match interviews with players, they were nowhere to be seen, with the manager locking them in the dressing room for a little while as they did their post-match debrief.

That's according to several national sources online and via social media.

The situation, reportedly, saw Porto players waiting outside of the away dressing room waiting to swap shirts with their opponents. After a bit of time had passed, the United players did emerge for post-match media duties.

What was said in the dressing room isn't likely to be disclosed, but it is likely that there were strong words given the situation that the team find themselves in. Ten Hag and van Nistlerooy will be hoping that an impact will now be seen when United return to Premier League action against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon (2pm).