Manchester United got their UEFA Europa League campaign off to the worst possible start as they fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Feyenoord on Thursday night.

The defeat is United’s second in a week, having also lost against Manchester City last time out, and leaves Jose Mourinho’s men bottom of their group after the first game week.

De Gea helpless as Rojo disappoints

On another disappointing night, how did Mourinho’s men perform individually?

David de Gea – 6: The Spaniard only faced three shots on target throughout the game but couldn’t do anything about the goal he conceded.

Matteo Darmian – 5: Epitomising his time at Old Trafford so far, Darmian showed some signs of encouragement whilst also providing just as much to be concerned by against the Dutch side. He provided a good cross to set up Anthony Martial in the first half and got back well on occasion, but there wasn’t enough consistency from the Italian in this 90 minutes alone.

Eric Bailly – 7: Noticeably the most match-fit and ready of United’s back four, Bailly looked typically assured and comfortable in defence for most of the game. Having said that, there wasn’t much for the ex-Villarreal man to deal with, either.

Chris Smalling – 6: Not quite at his best, and not at the same level of Bailly’s performance, either. However, Smalling put in a decent enough performance to suggest he will remain in Mourinho’s plans.

Marcos Rojo – 4: The Argentine failed to deal with Feyenoord’s attackers all night long and, although the Dutch outfit’s winning goal did look offside, it was a rash and poorly-timed Rojo challenge which allowed the Rotterdam-based side to get in behind the United defence and score.

Scheniderlin the best of French trio

Morgan Schneiderlin – 7: Did the job which was asked of him to good effect, winning the ball back via some good challenges and well-timed interceptions. Probably the best of any United player being handed their first start of the season on the night.

Ander Herrera – 6: The Spanish midfielder coped well against some physical opponents but didn’t get a foothold in the game. Might have done better if he was allowed a little more freedom in midfield.

Juan Mata – 5: Like Herrera, Mata appeared to be targeted by some of Feyenoord’s more physical players. That restricted the Spaniard’s impact on the game, allowing him virtually zero influence on proceedings.

Neither Mata nor Pogba made enough of an impression in Rotterdam | Photo: Sky Sports
Neither Mata nor Pogba made enough of an impression in Rotterdam | Photo: Sky Sports

Paul Pogba – 6: Pogba wasn’t at his best against Feyenoord but still showed his strength and drive from midfield on plenty of occasions. However, the United academy product didn’t create enough for his teammates and for a player of his quality, he should have done more.

Anthony Martial – 6: Had two of United’s best chances in the first half, with a header and sliced shot both going just wide. Whilst he got into some good positions and looked more capable than most of making a difference in this game, he still isn’t the amazing Martial of last season.

Treble change fails as Rashford hauled off

Marcus Rashford – 6: Had little room to work in for much of the night and whilst he wasn’t helped by the lack of service from his teammates, Rashford, who completed the starting XI as the main striker, just couldn’t make a difference for the Red Devils in Rotterdam.

Ashley Young – 5: Worked hard when he came on but failed to make a difference in United’s attack. Replaced Mata in the 63rd minute.

Memphis Depay – 5: The Dutchman was certainly keen to make an impact back in the Netherlands when he came off the bench, but his efforts came to nothing, as Memphis managed little more than slicing a shot well over from distance.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 6: Made a difference in United’s attack, but not enough of one. Threatened to get on the end of a couple of crosses, but his 30 minutes on the field ultimately weren’t enough for the Swede to make the desired impact. 

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About the author
Matthew Brown
Third year Sports Journalism student at UCLan, Preston.