Ten Hag: Bond with fans just gets stronger
bond. Throughout my time here, that bond has got stronger and stronger – and today it became even stronger.
“That magnificent comeback will help them support us. We get big support from them, both away from home and at Old Trafford – and we have to keep strengthening that.
“At United, we work with togetherness throughout the whole club. We have the same targets, we put 100 percent effort in, and the communication is good.”
Goals by Taiwo Awoniyi and Willy
Boly shocked United – but Ten Hag was delighted with his team’s three-goal response.
He added: “It was a horror start with many mistakes. But I was very pleased with the comeback. We showed character, leadership and stayed calm, kept the plan and turned it around. This team has big character and personality and a great spirit – and they can also find a way to win.”
United keeper Dean Henderson is to undergo a medical ahead of a move to Crystal Palace. The 26-year-old is in London to finalise the details of his departure, despite ongoing talks with Palace over whether the deal will be a loan or a permanent transfer.
United value him at £30million. Palace have not closed the door on a permanent deal – but could look to arrange a loan with an obligation to buy next summer.
MANCHESTER UNITED are a basket case of a club both on and off the pitch right now.
While the shadow of the Glazers’ ownership continues to hang over Old Trafford, and the fans debate the rights and wrongs of Mason Greenwood being told the toxicity of his image means he will no longer be required, the team managed by Erik ten Hag swings from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again.
When United found themselves two goals down inside four minutes it appeared that a week from hell in M16 was about to get much worse.
There was more than a touch of fortune about the goals from Taiwo Awoniyi and Willy Boly that had Forest’s 3,000 fans dancing in disbelief in the aisles.
Awoniyi scuffed a shot past Andre Onana only because the United keeper was wrong-footed by a lastditch Marcus Rashford challenge.
Downpour
And Boly could not believe it when Morgan Gibbs-white’s free-kick from the right dipped over a posse of leaping players and struck him flush in the face before looping past the static Onana (bottom right).
Ten Hag stood open-mouthed on the touchline – and was then soaked by a good, old Mancunian downpour before one of his backroom staff handed him a waterproof jacket.
Those United fans who planned to join a sit-in at the end to pour vitriol on the club’s American owners might have wondered how many would still be there by the final whistle.
A stirring United fightback ensured that thousands of Stretford Enders stayed behind.
Ten Hag will have been delighted that his United team did not hang him out to dry.
Christian Eriksen grabbed a lifeline in the 17th minute when Rashford burned past Serge Aurier (left, with Anthony Martial) with a turn of pace that would have warmed the watching England boss Gareth Southgate and crossed into the Forest box for the Dane to flick home.
And the goal that brought the home side level six minutes into the second half was a thing of training-ground beauty.
There were groans from United’s fans when Bruno Fernandes dragged a free-kick back to Rashford 30 yards from goal instead of delivering a cross into the Forest box.
But when Rashford dug out a return cross to the far post, there was United’s skipper to serve up the ball to Casemiro (above) with a cushioned header and the Brazilian was not going to miss from six yards. It was