SOCCER/UEFA Champions League/Group D/Fenerbahce - 3 Manchester United - 0: Fenerbahce 3 Manchester United-Lite 0. Alex Ferguson's shadow XI last night incorporated the peripheral, the peeved and, in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, the perplexed, writes Daniel Taylor at Sukru Stadium.
Unable to bridge the gap between the English League Cup and Europe's premier club competition, they will qualify as runners-up in Group D and now face the likelihood of Italian opposition in the first knockout stage.
Having succumbed to a hat-trick from Tuncay Sanli, United will be drawn against one of five clubs: Juventus, Internazionale, Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco. It is a daunting list, but Ferguson will console himself that they cannot be paired with Real Madrid or Barcelona. For that alone, he will not be too despondent about what was ultimately a chastening experience here.
Istanbul has previously seen United's team coach bombarded with rocks and "Welcome to Hell" banners brandished at Ataturk airport. Yet the only hostility this time came from the Turkish press with a barrage of hostile headlines berating Ferguson's decision to leave behind so many high-profile players. They had expected Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney, but they got Kieran Richardson and Liam Miller.
Ferguson's explanation that he wanted to conserve his first-team for more important missions might not have cut any ice here, but few of the 600 travelling fans inside this vertiginous stadium will have disputed his tactics.
Darren Fletcher, for one, affirmed why he has legitimate grievances not to be playing more regularly, and Phil Neville, the stand-in captain, defended as though affronted about having fallen down the pecking order like a stone in a well.
The manner in which United's makeshift team retained possession was particularly impressive, but Ferguson's antennae will also have picked up on how ineffective Miller was in the void between midfield and attack. Lightweight and seemingly incapable of asserting himself, it is becoming increasingly difficult to understand why Ferguson picked out the Irishman earlier this year.
The decibel levels picked up again within 90 seconds of the restart, when United conceded their first ever goal on Turkish soil. Tuncay had been the outstanding player in the home side and the bicycle kick with which he redirected Umit Ozat's left-wing cross into Howard's goal must have reminded United's supporters of Mark Hughes in his pomp.
Just after the hour, Richardson conceded a senseless free-kick on the perimeter of the penalty area. Alex de Souza crossed for Tuncay to score with a close-range header. In the last minute the player completed his hat-trick with a breakaway goal.
In the other Group match, a rejuvenated Olympique Lyon, spearheaded by young Brazilian Nilmar, outclassed Sparta Prague 5-0 to finish top of the Group.
FENERBAHCE: Rustu, Turaci, Luciano, Cetin, Ozat, Balci (Yozgatli 71), Sahin, Aurelio, Sanli, Alex, Marcio Nobre, Akin (Demirel 90). Subs Not Used: Rodriguez, Hacioglu, Akin, Erdogdu, Sergen. Booked: Aurelio. Goals: Sanli 46, 62, 90.
MANCHESTER UNITED: Howard, Phil Neville, Brown (Pique 66), O'Shea, Fortune, Ronaldo, Djemba-Djemba, Fletcher, Richardson (Spector 68), Miller (Eagles 77), Bellion. Subs Not Used: Ricardo, Jones, McShane, Ebanks-Blake. Booked: Djemba-Djemba.
Referee: A Ibanez (Spain).
