Daily Mail with a damning take on the ‘second string’
’Should Sir Alex Ferguson have been harbouring any doubts about his ideal first 11 as he attempts to make up ground in the Premiership this winter, then the abject failure of his second string will have dispelled them last night. Ferguson's collection of reserves did not quite embarrass themselves. But, equally, not one of them did anything to suggest to Ferguson that they should be in his team when United take their recently improved league form to Fulham on Monday.’
Guardian:
‘Fenerbahce 3 Manchester United-Lite 0. Sir Alex Ferguson's shadow XI last night incorporated the peripheral, the peeved and, in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, the perplexed. Unable to bridge the gap between the Carling 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 knock-out 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.’
Independent:
‘Sir Alex Ferguson gambled on his kids here last night and they weren't all right, Manchester United losing in this country for the first time after a Sanli Tuncay hat-trick ended their chances of topping Group D in the Champions' League.
‘With Liam Miller making sporadic bursts from central midfield - where Eric Djemba-Djemba was not effective and Fletcher ran tirelessly - United hinted they might produce something from nothing. But it was fitful fare in a first half of few clear-cut chances.
‘United's misery was compounded when Tuncay scored with a fantastic bicycle kick, then a second and went on to wrap things up with a breakaway third in injury time.’
Times
‘At least they still have the Carling Cup to go for. Sir Alex Ferguson’s second string battled valiantly enough in defeat last night and second place in group D might not be such a bad result for Manchester United by the time the draw for the knockout phase is made.
‘Avoiding Barcelona next may ultimately aid United’s chances of returning to Istanbul in May, when this match will have been forgotten by all but the Old Trafford novices, whose learning process was sharply accelerated, and Sanli Tuncay, whose second-half hat-trick sent Fenerbahçe into the Uefa Cup with a spring in their step.
‘The mathematicians had been working overtime trying to calculate whether United would be better off finishing first or second in group D. Victory would keep them in top spot. That meant potential opponents in the second round would include Barcelona, Europe’s in-form team, FC Porto, last season’s winners, PSV Eindhoven, Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich. That was even disregarding Real Madrid. Perhaps it would be better to lose and aim for the runners-up spot. Then again, that could mean running into Inter Milan, AC Milan or Juventus.’
Telegraph:
‘Sir Alex Ferguson has said for weeks that winning Group D would not necessarily do his side any favours in the draw for the knockout round. Now he has the chance to test that theory. With his Carling Cup side defeated last night, United have a 60 per cent chance of meeting one of Italy's Serie A goliaths in the next round.
‘AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus have made effortless progress through the group stages and, as group winners, they could all face United. There is some good news for United though, second place means there will be no reunion with David Beckham and Real Madrid just yet, or Barcelona either. And if United do not draw the Italians then it will be Bayer Leverkusen or Monaco, both sides who have eliminated them in previous years.
‘It might have been a mark of Manchester United's success in the Champions League group stage this season that they can afford to treat their last match the same way they treat the Carling Cup, but their hosts could not hide their disappointment. A visit from United still carries great significance here. Despite their derby with Galatasaray on Saturday the Turkish champions fielded the strongest side they could muster.
‘The main draw was Cristiano Ronaldo and he did not disappoint. He had already bounced off a couple of outstretched Fenerbahce legs when, in the 11th minute, he spun away from the defender Cetin Servet with a flick and a burst of acceleration. There can be no doubt, however, that whatever Ferguson has said to him about going to ground it is an instinctive part of the teenager's game. Even the Turks, not adverse to the odd bit of exaggeration themselves, were aggrieved.
‘Good enough for the Champions League dead rubbers but facing a struggle to make the bench for Monday's visit to Fulham, it must be hard for Neville not to feel angry about his situation. The captain, in his brother Gary's right-back position, looked solid but his days in the centre of midfield must already be over. That spot was taken by Darren Fletcher, a careful, competent passer of the ball last night. The same cannot be said of Miller, who still looks jumpy and is too often brushed aside.’