‘Like a rich tea biscuit!’ – Karen Carney slams Manchester United after first-half collapse against Porto

Karen Carney pulled no punches after Manchester United were guilty of another spineless collapse in a breathless 3-3 draw with Porto, likening Erik ten Hag’s men to a ‘crumbling rich tea biscuit’.

Harry Maguire came off the bench to head home what could prove a crucial stoppage-time equaliser for United in this evening’s Europa League group-stage contest – but the scoreline only half explains the topsy-turvy nature of the match.

United’s players flew out of the traps and appeared to be fighting for an under-fire Ten Hag, with the Dutchman reportedly given two games to save his job in the wake of his team’s 3-0 capitulation at the hands of Tottenham.

Marcus Rashford opened the scoring after just seven minutes and the Red Devils looked to be cruising towards a comfortable victory as Rasmus Hojlund doubled the visitors midway through the first half.

But hosts Porto soon halved the deficit through Pepe before Samu Omorodion – who came close to joining Chelsea in this summer – nodded in a deserved 34th-minute leveller to take the roof off the Estadio do Dragao.

Omorodion doubled his tally for the night inside five minutes of the restart and Bruno Fernandes’ red card – his second in as many games – piled yet more misery on the away team, until Maguire popped up at the death.

Ten Hag cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as United once again let 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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