Paul Scholes says Manchester United need Europa League results soon - 'They're in a terrible position'

Paul Scholes claimed Manchester United are in a "terrible" place in the Europa League following a 1-1 draw away to Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce side on Thursday night.

Erik ten Hag's side threw away a lead for the third consecutive European game this season, making it three points from three games in the Europa League so far.

While that includes draws at difficult away venues in Porto and Fenerbahce, United are becoming increasingly desperate for a maiden win in the competition this season.

"They're in a terrible position in the Europa League, they've got to start winning games soon. But a point overall is not too bad I don't think," said TNT Sports pundit Scholes after the game.

"I think on the face of it, going to Turkey, it's not easy going to Fenerbahce, it's a tough place to go. So a draw, you'd probably take it before the game.

"Obviously, you want to go there and win and the position they find themselves in the league at this point isn't great. But the last two results you have to say, Porto away, a tough place to go, good draw. Fenerbahce away, good draw."

"It's the home game that was really disappointing I suppose. The Twente game, you should be beating those teams, then this looks like almost a better result," Scholes continued.

"I thought there were two really good goals in the game. Do we question Onana maybe? Could he have come for the goal? I'm not sure, it seemed like a really good goal from Saint-Maximin. United scored a really good goal.

"I thought the last half an hour was really poor from both teams. Nothing seemed to happen since the goal."

Former United manager Mourinho was shown a red card for his protests when referee Clement Turpin waved away a penalty shout for a challenge from Manuel Ugarte on Bright Osayi-Samuel, as was his fitness coach Stefano Rapetti.

For United however, one main talking point will be the decision of Ten Hag to play right-back Noussair Mazraoui in the No. 10 position. By the 55th minute, he had abandoned the experiment.

"The stats at the end of it look like the game was pretty even, and it was. United did look dangerous at times. Fenerbahce were really good and they're a good team, I think he [Mourinho] talks his team down a little bit, he doesn't give them enough credit really," Scholes added.

"The Mazraoui in the No. 10 as we spoke about - didn't see it happening. I didn't see that working. I didn't see it working before the game, I didn't see it working during the game, I don't see it working after the game. It was a strange thing to do when he [Ten Hag] needs to win the game as well. Man United are not cruising in this group, they're in a really tough position and they need to go and win the game. Play Casemiro, play Eriksen further forward, play [Rasmus] Hojlund.

"He needs to win games. He's in a period of pressure where people are having a go at him. He needs to win games, so play your best players."

Fellow pundit and former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves echoed Scholes' warning to the United squad.

"Not good. Three games, three points is not good enough. I think today, that was a fair result," he said. "You look at the 1-1 and the stats, they're all quite similar. I don't think there was much in the game. Both teams looked like they were quite content with the 1-1 at the end. That's why maybe not much happened in the last 30 minutes.

"I don't think, right now, United can expect to go there and win a game like that, especially with some of the injuries that they have. It seemed fair but if you think about three games, three points, that's not what anybody would have expected at this point."

United next face Greek side PAOK on November 7 in the Europa League, four days after they welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford in the Premier League.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said that his side needed to be “killing more” but insisted they were tough to beat. 

Speaking to TNT Sports, the Dutchman seemed satisfied with the two points from tricky away ties at both Porto and Fenerbahce, but recognised the need to take all three from such games. 

“I think when you take two points from Porto and Fenerbahce away, we showed that we are a team that is hard to beat,” ten Hag said. 

“We showed it again today. We can take confidence again from this game and take it into the league to West Ham. 

"We have to win. We came in the position to win. We created the chances, but we have to be killing more. We let the opponent get away with a point.”

TNT Sports will show over 500 matches from the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League across the 2024-25 season. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+.