Guardian:
‘If only a harangue from Roy Keane were enough to restore Manchester United. The injured captain, with his whiplash tongue, might have driven the players on to greater industry but that merely illuminates the fact that this team is inescapably bound to its own inadequacies. The supporters confronted that truth more starkly than ever before in Paris last night.
‘United's followers are wrongly vilified as shallow glory-hunters when, in truth, they generally have an obsessive devotion to the club. Their faith in the side has tended to be romantic and it was a shock to see them, at full-time, howl at the players in a fashion that had Keane's invective looking like a genteel quibble
‘Ferguson complained about the surface and some rough conduct by Lille. But he did not voice his protest entirely seriously. Already his mind was turning towards Sunday's forbidding task when Chelsea come to Old Trafford. "Two things will help me," he claimed. "We have got the ability to play against anyone and the pitch will be much better."
‘Only the second half of that assertion can be taken on trust. Some senior figures are missing and the manager hopes to have Gary Neville back when Villarreal visit in three weeks, but his present squad still will not meet the standards he maintained for so much of his remarkable tenure. The sheer mediocrity of United's build-up is astounding.
‘United, a point behind the leaders Villarreal but now third, cannot be wholly confident of advancing from Group D. Even if they do pull through, the Glazers must be more anxious than ever about their ridiculously expensive investment. The Americans will have to work out how to protect their own interests. That may require heavy spending in the transfer market, if there is any money left in their accounts, but it could also have them plotting a change of manager.’
Times:
‘If the deepening sense of crisis at Old Trafford had not filtered through to all of Manchester United’s players after the thrashing by Middlesbrough at the weekend, it is certain to have this morning when they wake to survey the wreckage of one of the most abject performances in the club’s history. God knows what Roy Keane would have made of it watching at home.
‘Having branded the 4-1 defeat by Middlesbrough as “shocking”, Ferguson returned to more defensive ways last night, making any number of excuses for his team’s performances, but nothing could mask what was a wretched display during which United never looked as if they would end their two-year search for an away victory in Europe.
‘A midfield compromising Alan Smith, Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson was especially culpable, while the defence was not much better and a three-pronged attack featuring Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy was anonymous.
‘United’s only recognisable shot on goal in the first half was a dribbling effort from Ronaldo in the fifth minute. Thereafter, the guests all but disappeared from view. Ferguson could have argued that his players were having difficulty picking each other out such was the uncanny resemblance the Lille players’ red shirts bore to United’s own home kit. Either that or United simply liked conceding possession.
‘It seemed only a matter of time before Claude Puel’s side would take advantage of United’s indifference and in the 38th minute they were in front. What a beautifully orchestrated goal it was, too. A wayward pass by Rooney was collected by Grégory Tafforeau, who, with the United defence backing off, was invited to cross and, after a delightful dummy by Matt Moussilou, Acimovic thundered home a rasping drive into the roof of the net.
‘In the 54th minute, they would have been 2-0 down but for the athleticism of Van der Sar. Smith was adjuged to have fouled Acimovic 25 yards out and from the free kick, Mathieu Debuchy stroked a sumptuous swerving shot that was heading for the top left corner before Van der Sar appeared from nowhere to turn it around the post.
‘The near-miss seemed to prompt some life into United, even if it did not last long. Rooney drilled in a corner that was powerfully met by the head of Ronaldo only for the bar to deny United an equaliser. It would have been far more than they deserved, however, on a truly forgettable evening that ended, somewhat fittingly, with a chorus of boos from the travelling supporters.’
Telegraph:
‘With many suggesting that Sir Alex Ferguson's 19th anniversary as Manchester United manager on Sunday would be his last, the team he moulded required a vehement show of strength. Instead, they produced the display of a group of players who no longer believe in their own abilities. With the game over, Ruud van Nistelrooy walked over to the United fans and shrugged his shoulders before he was involved in a confrontation as he left the pitch. It seemed to sum the night up.
‘Under the circumstances, United were as bad as they can ever have been under Ferguson's charge. It proved that whether or not they broadcast Roy Keane's words, the essential truth of what the club captain is believed to have said is now undeniable.
‘Standing in the November rain beneath a banner demanding "Make Glazer History", the Manchester United supporters chanted their faith in Keane. The club may have succeeded in censoring his withering criticisms of team-mates but the gist of his argument has got through and has fallen on fertile ground. If his masters in the boardroom want pick a fight with the captain, they should know his views carry wide support. And the longer this match continued, the more that support grew.’
The Sun:
‘Manchester United were booed off by their fans after a dire display in Paris. The 5,000 fed-up followers snapped as defeat left United’s Champions League future hanging in the balance. They also chanted the name of captain Roy Keane — backing his criticism of the players which the club would not allow to be shown on their own TV channel.
‘United’s fans at the Stade de France in Paris also made angry gestures at the players after the final whistle.’