Juan Mata, right, and Scott McTominay express their dejection at Manchester United's failure to beat Huddersfield Town. Getty
Juan Mata, right, and Scott McTominay express their dejection at Manchester United's failure to beat Huddersfield Town. Getty
Juan Mata, right, and Scott McTominay express their dejection at Manchester United's failure to beat Huddersfield Town. Getty
Juan Mata, right, and Scott McTominay express their dejection at Manchester United's failure to beat Huddersfield Town. Getty

Europa League 'a true reflection' of struggling Manchester United's level


Richard Jolly
  • English
  • Arabic

The most damning element came after the final whistle.

“It is probably the right place for us to be next year, the Europa League,” said Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Confirmation came that the man who won Manchester United the Champions League in 1999 will lead them into the continent’s secondary competition after they floundered against a side bound for the Championship.

“We weren’t good enough,” said Solskjaer, a comment that is equally applicable on the day and over the season.

“We are all disappointed we aren’t in the Champions League but I think that is a true reflection. The table seldom lies in the end.” So United’s 2019-20 campaign may yet begin in Europa League qualifying in July, should they finish sixth and Watford win the FA Cup. Incorrigible optimist that he is, Solskjaer talked about it offering opportunities to United’s youngsters, but it would represent another indignity.

Even a draw, ending a run of five straight away defeats, was bad enough. United  had lost seven of their previous 10 games but, given Huddersfield Town’s travails, there was a case for arguing this was worse than any of those losses.

“Sometimes it happens: concentration, application, confidence drops,” said Solskjaer.

Lacking ideas and urgency. United made elementary errors and resembled a rabble. They endured the humiliation of the Huddersfield fans taunting them about how bad they were.

“Effort and attitude was not the problem,” said Solskjaer. “The players were running and trying.”

They certainly try the patience. Huddersfield, who had lost 22 of their previous 24 games and only taken four points since November, gifted United a goal. They still held them.

If nothing else, they ensured a dreadful season had a comparatively happy ending. Their long-suffering supporters deserved it; so, too, Dean Hoyle, who is standing down after a decade as a popular owner.

“We wanted to give something back to the chairman and the fans,” said manager Jan Siewert.

It felt unlikely when Huddersfield, behind after 15 seconds against Liverpool last week, contrived to concede in comical fashion after just seven minutes.

Just the second goal of Scott McTominay’s United career came courtesy of Jonas Lossl, who neglected to try and use his hands to stop a tame shot and failed to block it with his knees.

Thereafter Paul Pogba hit the bar with a header but has still not scored in open play since February. Marcus Rashford shot wide but none of United’s forwards have struck since March.

Only Juan Mata, who curled a shot narrowly past the post, at least showed glimpses of class, and the enterprising substitute Tahith Chong played remotely well. The teenager almost delivered a winner. United did not merit one.

Alexis Sanchez was utterly ineffectual on his first start for two months. He hobbled off after 53 minutes, an ankle problem ending his afternoon, and perhaps his season, in suitably anti-climactic fashion.

“There is the chance you have seen the last of [some] players,” added Solskjaer, though Sanchez’s wages may mean United are lumbered with him.

Phil Jones and Luke Shaw, who have signed new contracts, should stay but traded blunders, the left-back’s mistake costing them as United conceded in lamentable fashion, 13 seconds after they took a corner.

“We have conceded too many times when we have had a corner kick,” noted Solskjaer. “We became sloppy.”

Lossl contrived get an assist against United for the second successive season as Shaw missed his punt forward. Isaac Mbenza raced on to score belatedly open his Huddersfield account.

The Town fans greeted it with a chant of “we’ve scored a goal.” They have only seen 10 on home turf this season.

It meant United’s wait for a clean sheet extended to a 14th game, their worst run since 1970.

David de Gea, culpable for a rash of goals recently, twice saved well from Karlan Grant, sparing United the most embarrassing of defeats.

Even a draw felt bad enough but Solskjaer accepted: “It's not come as a surprise.”

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Scoreline:

Cardiff City 0

Liverpool 2

Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)

While you're here
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Fixtures

Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs

Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms

Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles

Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon

Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

'Joker'

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix

Rating: Five out of five stars

UAE v United States, T20 International Series

Both matches at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free.

1st match: Friday, 2pm

2nd match: Saturday, 2pm

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Amjad Gul, CP Rizwan, Mohammed Boota, Abdul Shakoor, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat

USA squad: Saurabh Netravalkar (captain), Jaskaran Malhotra, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jannisar Khan, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh

Full Party in the Park line-up

2pm – Andreah

3pm – Supernovas

4.30pm – The Boxtones

5.30pm – Lighthouse Family

7pm – Step On DJs

8pm – Richard Ashcroft

9.30pm – Chris Wright

10pm – Fatboy Slim

11pm – Hollaphonic

 

The Cairo Statement

 1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations

2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred

3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC  

4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.

5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.

6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics

 

TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER

Directed by: Michael Fimognari

Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo

Two stars

The Little Things

Directed by: John Lee Hancock

Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto

Four stars

Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?

The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.

The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.

He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.

He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.

He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

RESULTS

1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

Cry Macho

Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam

Rating:**

UAE cricketers abroad

Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.

Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.

Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 290hp

Torque: 340Nm

Price: Dh155,800

On sale: now

Dubai World Cup factbox

Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)

Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)

Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)

Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)

MATCH INFO

Day 2 at the Gabba

Australia 312-1 

Warner 151 not out, Burns 97,  Labuschagne 55 not out

Pakistan 240 

Shafiq 76, Starc 4-52

The%20Kitchen
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UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food