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Erik ten Hag is back where he started. In one respect, anyway. The Dutchman lost his first two games as Manchester United manager and has lost his last two. He inherited a team in the Europa League, went on a marathon run in the Europa League and, suddenly and despite a run of 30 matches that produced 63 points, could face next season in the Europa League. Talk of the title at Old Trafford has given way to worry about Liverpool – if not from Ten Hag. But the pain of finishing fifth would be exacerbated if United are leapfrogged by their enemies. Ten Hag left West Ham on Sunday sounding rational. “If you look at the table we have everything in our hands,” he said. They do. Win three of their last four games and Liverpool’s results become irrelevant. Three of those four matches are at Old Trafford where United are unbeaten in the league since August, dropping just six points. None of their remaining opponents are in the top nine, and United have a lone defeat to bottom-11 sides this season; it was, though, that most recent outing, at West Ham. United are the team who first had and then lost momentum. They are the side who seemed relentless during the lengthiest fixture list in Europe this season until they now look like running out of steam. They were the squad who seemed transformed under Ten Hag and now appear reliant on overworked, potentially exhausted individuals as faultlines in the group have become more apparent. They may need Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford to drag them over the line. Fernandes is 54 games into his season, Rashford 53 into his. Factor in international commitments and the Portuguese is up to 63 appearances already. There is a sense that exertions are taking their toll. United have only won one of their last six games in all competitions, though a penalty shootout triumph against Brighton has also taken them into the FA Cup final. They have three goals in six; three in 584 minutes. They have lost their way later in matches, giving up 2-0 leads to Sevilla and Tottenham, conceding a 99th-minute winner to Brighton. Ten Hag built a team with a new spine but it has been fractured and frayed. They can count the cost of Sevilla’s visit to Old Trafford; the loss of two goals was accompanied by the loss of two centre-backs, with Lisandro Martinez’s season over and Raphael Varane sidelined ever since. Take each out and United are less secure, less confident, less capable of playing out from the back. It has felt a reversion to the problems Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bequeathed: Harry Maguire had a harrowing outing in Seville and, partly because of suspension and injury, has not started since. Victor Lindelof has at least been decent as a deputy; United have only conceded in the last three games because of individual errors, though Luke Shaw’s late handball at Brighton and David de Gea’s almost inexplicable inability to save Said Benrahma’s tame shot at West Ham cost two points. But De Gea has had twin terrible nights in the last month, following his disastrous night in Seville. Now there seems a soft underbelly. Further forward, the relief of seeing players making swifter-than-expected recoveries from injury has given way to questions if they were rushed back when neither has regained form. Christian Eriksen was excellent against Nottingham Forest but has been more subdued since. Rashford scored one and made another against Spurs but has otherwise had five fruitless outings since returning in the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Which has assumed a greater importance, given the way he carried United through winter, through an inspired run of 18 goals and four assists in 19 games. It makes it a still greater indictment of his teammates that United only have 49 league goals and could yet end up with their second lowest in the Premier League era, ahead only of Louis van Gaal’s self-defeatingly dull team of 2015-16. A tally of 98 in all competitions at least sounds healthier but others have scarcely eased the burden on Rashford: Anthony Martial has no goals in his last eight outings, Wout Weghorst none in 12, Antony one in 14, Jadon Sancho one in 17. The supporting cast have offered too little support. Finishing is a problem for a team struggling to end the season in style; they have underperformed their expected goals in ten of their last 11 league games. The need for a striking signing was apparent long before Weghorst descended into utter ineffectuality, but United’s budget could depend in part on qualifying for the Champions League. And when one route was closed off, it felt less of a blow than it may now prove to be. United were shocking against Sevilla, providing the latest addition to a series of terrible displays that have punctuated their season. But they were six points ahead of Tottenham and 12 clear of Liverpool then. A top-four finish still appeared overwhelmingly likely. Now the gap to Jurgen Klopp’s team is down to one and it has been downgraded to just probable. Ten Hag has placed great faith in United’s bouncebackability: every time after August they suffered a setback, they had an immediate response. Until they lost at Brighton and then at West Ham. Now it is Wolves, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Fulham amid the danger that, after a season that has offered grounds for optimism and plenty of evidence of improvement, the league table could make talk of progress look an illusion. Read More Is Vinicius the best player in the world right now? 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Co-hosts New Zealand and Australia are in action on the opening day of the World Cup finals as their big moment finally arrives. The Football Ferns kick off the tournament against Norway at Eden Park in Auckland before the Matildas host the Republic of Ireland side in front of a sold-out 80,000 crowd at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at an eagerly-anticipated opening day. A different ball game New Zealand head coach Jitka Klimkova has challenged her players to make football as popular as rugby in the southern hemisphere nation with their exploits in the tournament. The All Blacks are three-times Rugby World Cup winners, while the Black Ferns have lifted the women’s version on six occasions and are the current holders. Klimkova told a press conference: “I really believe this is an incredible opportunity for this country to not be just a rugby country, but to actually really also wake up the love of football.” The Football Ferns, who are playing at their sixth finals but are yet to win a match, are ranked 26th in the world by FIFA and will have to upset the odds if they are to launch their campaign with a victory over the 12th-placed Norwegians. Play it again, Sam Sam Kerr is happy to bear the weight of expectation as Australia target World Cup glory. The Matildas’ record goalscorer with 63, Chelsea striker Kerr insists she is used to the pressure of having to deliver on the big stage. She told a press conference: “I guess for me the expectation has been growing over four years so it’s been something I’ve learned to deal with. “I think I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m really proud we have a home World Cup, and to be part of this journey is amazing. I’m really excited for it. “Of course everyone in Australia has a lot of expectations, but it’s something I take in my stride and I try to just enjoy. “Back at Chelsea I’ve done that too, just enjoyed it, and that’s when I’m my best me.” Dictionary corner Republic of Ireland boss Vera Pauw is predicting her team’s “outbelieve” slogan will end up in the dictionary if they continue to defy expectations. Ireland got the better of Sweden, Finland and, in a dramatic play-off, Scotland to reach the finals of a major tournament for the first time, and they will need to scale new heights if they are the emerge from a group which includes top-10 sides Australia and Canada, as well as Nigeria. Pauw said: “That word will end up in the dictionary because we outbelieve we can do something special here. “That is how we ended up here because we outbelieve and we did something that nobody expected, but we are realistic. “We are very realistic, otherwise you cannot succeed, but the key thing everybody will feel is we have no fear of failure.” Picture of the day Quote of the day We must play every match as if it's our last. We need to really bleed for each other and bleed for our uniform, because nothing comes free Norway striker Ada Hegerberg Post of the day Up next July 20 Group A: New Zealand v Norway (8am, Eden Park, Auckland)Group B: Australia v Republic of Ireland (11am, Stadium Australia, Sydney)

Erik ten Hag expects Marcus Rashford to be ready to face Chelsea on Thursday night but admitted he is not sure whether Manchester United’s top scorer is fully fit. Rashford has missed United’s last two fixtures, first with a leg injury and then through illness, but has returned to training this week. Asked if the 29-goal forward was ready to play, Ten Hag said: “It looks like (it). Yesterday, he returned to training, he looks quite fit but we have to see today what is the outcome of the training, how did we recover and then we will make our choices.” Rashford’s absence against Wolves and Bournemouth – both games United won without him – once again brought into focus United’s lack of depth in the forward positions. Anthony Martial was handed a rare start on the south coast on Sunday, but headed straight down the tunnel when he was withdrawn after an hour before later returning to the bench. Martial’s reaction led to fresh speculation over his United future. The 27-year-old, who finished last season on loan at Sevilla, has scored eight times in 27 appearances for United this season, but has struggled at times with injuries. “If you are not available, you can’t score,” Ten Hag said. “When he was available we played better, the team is winning games, he’s also scoring goals but he has to be available.” And Ten Hag also batted away a question about speculation linking United with Paris St Germain’s Brazil forward Neymar by offering his stock answer on transfer rumours, saying: “When we have news, we will tell you.” United will secure a top-four place and a return to the Champions League for next season if they take at least a point against Frank Lampard’s side. “It’s clear, we want to win every game,” the Dutchman said. “That is what we do all season so tomorrow we want to do the same, we want to win the game, play dominant football and get the job done… “First, we have to win the game tomorrow and get the job done. Then, it’s about judgement from others if it’s a good, bad or normal performance. “We are in a project, we want to go back and win trophies, we win one trophy but we want more trophies, compete with the best, we are still in a journey but we think we are in the right direction but it can always be better. Because good is not good enough.” We are still in a journey but we think we are in the right direction but it can always be better. Because good is not good enough Erik ten Hag With the League Cup trophy already in the cabinet, booking a return to Europe’s premier competition would be another significant marker for Ten Hag in his first season at Old Trafford. “If we want to compete with the best, then you have to be in the Champions League,” he said. “We want to compete with the best and be in the Champions League. In the Premier League, you have to be one of the first four, that’s not easy, many are competing for it, many think they should be in and we are one of them.”

Oral Roberts beat TCU in the opening matchup of the College World Series, and now the two meet again in hope of holding off elimination on Tuesday in Nebraska, Omaha.The mid-major darling of this college baseball tournament, Oral Roberts, is an underdog once again despite beating TCU on Friday, ...