Greek tragedy leaves United boss mystified

Moyes at a loss to explain why Manchester played so poorly

Manchester United manager David Moyes said he was taken aback by the abject quality of his team's performance in a shocking 2-0 Champions League loss to Olympiakos on Tuesday.

The English champion must now attempt to overturn a two-goal deficit in the home leg of the last-16 tie on March 19 after being totally domianted at Karaiskaki Stadium in Piraeus.

Olympiakos worked hard for the win, getting goals in each half from Alejandro Dominguez and Joel Campbell, who is on loan from Arsenal.

Still, United came across as a surprisingly generous opponents.

Careless on defense and short of ideas in midfield, United failed to muster a single shot on goal during the game and did not seriously threaten until Robin van Persie shot over the bar in the 82nd minute.

"I'm just surprised," a shell-shocked Moyes said.

"I didn't see that level of performance coming. I didn't see that. I still don't think we were necessarily two goals worse off in the game.

"We had a shot which gets deflected (for Dominguez's goal), but we didn't offer enough on the night to create a goal, really.

"We never really got to grips with things. To a man, you could hardly pick anybody out (who played well).

"We just didn't perform well. We came into the game in good form, with a good mindset, but it didn't show."

The defeat, United's first against a Greek team, was the latest sorry chapter in a season of misery for Moyes and his faltering side.

Knocked out of both domestic cup competitions, United trails Liverpool by 11 points in the battle for a top-four finish in the Premier League and faces the stark prospect of missing out on a place in the Champions League for the first time since 1995.

It last overturned a two-goal deficit in a European tie in 1984, when it came from 2-0 down to beat Barcelona in the Cup Winners' Cup.

Still, Moyes believes the club can harness the mystique of its famous stadium to turn the tie around in the second leg.

"The players are hurting as well; they know how they performed," he said.

"But there is a team here, and we won't change. We will stick together.

"There is a second game to come and Old Trafford has seen some great nights in the past and I am looking forward to hopefully seeing another one of those nights."

Former United captain Roy Keane, working as a commentator for British television, opined that Moyes would have been "shocked" by the lack of effort by his squad, but the Scot dismissed that assessment.

"I think there is undoubtedly talent at Manchester United, but tonight we didn't show it," Moyes said.

"Me and the team, we didn't show it together. It is something we have to do and we will put it right.

"We are determined to put it right, and we will have opportunities to do it in the coming weeks."

Dominguez opened the scoring in the 38th minute, cleverly flicking Giannis Maniatis's shot past United goalkeeper David de Gea, before Campbell curled in a fine effort from 25 yards 10 minutes into the second half.

Olympiakos coach Michel, the former Real Madrid midfielder, described the result as the best of his managerial career, but he refused to disparage his opponents despite their dismal display.

"We have been preparing for a long time, but in silence," Michel said.

"We know about the qualities of Manchester United and we know they will be far better in the second leg at Old Trafford.

"We congratulate our players and we would rather do that than talk Manchester United down. We have huge respect for Manchester United.

"We have another match at Old Trafford, and what more can a person ask for? It is the ultimate.

"I would glady swap places with any of my players, so we would have a grandfather playing at Old Trafford."

(China Daily 02/27/2014 page23)