Erik ten Hag deserves Jose Mourinho's chant at Manchester United

It is not the immortal quote associated with ITV's Champions League coverage of Manchester United but Jon Champion's utterance rings true as their chaotic group stage nears its conclusion.

"There is no such thing as a quiet night in with Manchester United," Champion declared. That was 21 years ago in Basel, the scene of Ruud van Nistelrooy's virtuoso winner.

When United returned to that utilitarian ground in 2011 they were ejected at the group stage. In two weeks, United supporters are braced for another premature exit.

As enthralling as United have been with their drama and goal gluts, they have conceded more than they have scored, lost three times as many games as they have won and are bottom of Group A. This has been the most engrossing group stage United have been involved in since the group of death in the Treble-winning season.

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United ended that group second to Bayern Munich and require an identical outcome for their name to be encased in one of those mini footballs for the round-of-16 draw. Parallels will be drawn with that tense evening in December 1998 when confusion was rife in the stands and on the pitch.

The group winners were the only team certain of progression to the quarter-finals, along with the two best runners-up. Like the current side, United dropped eight points from winning positions in four games - two against Bayern and two against Barcelona.

After Hasan Salihamidzic equalised at the Stretford End, the relevant scorelines elsewhere were frantically checked. Sir Alex Ferguson bounded down the dugout steps and held up both index fingers. "1-1 is okay." The reaction at full-time was not