MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester United like to think of themselves as one of Europe's elite. A club that not only should be competing in the UEFA Champions League , but challenging to win it. Yet this season -- again -- they're in the UEFA Europa League .
And after drawing 1-1 with FC Twente on Wednesday, they looked every inch the Europa League team. The Dutch side, currently sitting fourth in Eredivisie and among the lowest seeds in the competition, were thrilled with their point and the 4,000 supporters inside Old Trafford celebrated like they'd won. Editor's Picks Play less, get paid less: Could that ease concerns of overworked players? 9h Gabriele Marcotti Real or Not: Early Premier League trends analyzed 16h Ryan O'Hanlon Man United will never be successful again until they fix their misfiring attack 2d Mark Ogden On another night they might have done.
Dangerous on the break, particularly during a spell on top after their equaliser midway through the second half, they left Manchester good value for what their coach, Joseph Oosting, called an "important result" for Dutch football. This wasn't a Twente smash-and-grab. United should have won but could have lost.
If nothing else it was a timely warning for United manager Erik ten Hag ahead of three crucial games against Tottenham Hotspur , FC Porto and Aston Villa before the next international break. If they don't go well, the questions around Ten Hag's position will begin to swirl again. He said in the build-up he didn't.
