By NEIL CUSTIS
ALEX FERGUSON warned his team they would eventually come a cropper by handing opponents the lead.
For the second time in four days there would be no comeback, no drama, no win.
Alarmingly for the manager, Manchester United have now trailed in 12 of their 19 matches this season.
It is a risky business and five defeats have resulted.
Last night’s was not costly with top spot in Group H already guaranteed ahead of the game in Turkey.
However the nine points surrendered to Everton, Spurs and Norwich have been as the noisy neighbours now top the Premier League.
It is far from a crisis.
But Ferguson knew the magic which brought the sort of comebacks they enjoyed against the likes of Southampton in the Premier League and Braga in this competition in their last game would finally run out.
He wants to see his team leading from the front and winning emphatically again.
The visit of lowly QPR to Old Trafford on Saturday will offer his side the chance to begin that trend.
Last night, with the big guns left at home, United were firing blanks up front. The first time in 21 European games they have failed to score.
Mind you even with Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie at Norwich last weekend they did not manage to fashion a goal.
Last night they did not even force a save out the Galatasaray goalkeeper.
Nick Powell’s thumping header off the bar two minutes before the break was their only effort on goal to speak of.
The positives for Ferguson were that Phil Jones and Powell got their first starts to the season after injury.
Darren Fletcher also got another 90 minutes under his belt after his long lay-off due to illness.
The match will have provided valuable experience for the likes of Jones, Powell and Alexander Buttner.
What an experience it was.
While United had happily dodged the welcoming committee at the airport on Monday there was no escaping what the Turk Telekom Arena had in store for them last night.
It is the loudest stadium in football and the deafening chanting and whistling did not stop for the whole 90 minutes.
When the teams appeared from the tunnel huge flags were unfurled on three sides and a mural of cards in the Galatasaray colours.
A cartoon of a lion then rose on the top level behind one goal with the words ‘No mercy will be shown’.
The Turkish side certainly did not show any mercy with their tackling either as they went about kicking lumps out of the United players.
It was remarkable how they finished the game with just two yellow cards.
But they only finished the game with one goal thanks to a number of fine saves from Anders Lindegaard, who continues to fight David De Gea for that regular No 1 spot.
There was, however, nothing he could do about the goal in the 53rd minute.
From Emmanuel Eboue’s cross Melo got in a diving header which Lindegaard leapt to tip over.
But from the resulting corner Burak Yilmaz fizzed a header wide of him and above Rafael on the line into the top left-hand corner. It did make you wonder quite why Rafael, at 5ft 8in and the smallest bloke on the pitch, was given the job of guarding that area of the goal.
If the noise was loud before, that which greeted the goal had you rubbing your temples.
It could have been two on the hour when Eboue’s deflected effort pulled another fine save out of Lindegaard Then when Nordin Amrabat teed up Hamit Altinthorp, his shot crashed back off the bar.
United just could not fashion a chance of their own.
The closest they came was that Powell header which came back off the bar.
United did not lay down but too often their final pass or the key decision in the last third went wrong.
Still the four wins that went before this in Group H meant the result would only impact United’s pride.
After two defeats on the trot you can bet they will be right up for it on Saturday as they look to get back to winning ways. Just the news that their former hero Mark Hughes will not want to hear.
