It is easy to forget that, just three years ago, Manchester United appeared to be in a title race.
Thanks to a Paul Pogba screamer and an Edinson Cavani winner away at Fulham, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s side moved top of the Premier League table in early 2021, two points clear of Man City, six clear of Liverpool and 13 ahead of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
Who knows, had Man City not embarked on one of those staggering winning runs – picking up all three points during 15 successive matchdays to secure the title once again – perhaps Solskjaer’s spell in the Old Trafford dugout would not have ended in such tear-stained sadness.
Pep Guardiola’s City have made long winning runs something of an annual tradition, Liverpool and Arsenal also having found themselves on the receiving end.
Over in Turkey, a player who left Manchester United last summer in the hope of ending his wait for domestic glory appears set to suffer the same fate that befell Solskjaer in 2021.
Heartbreak looms for former Manchester United ace
Galatasaray have won each of their last 16 Turkish Super Lig matches. Fred’s Fenerbahce have been largely faultless during that spell themselves but, with pretty much no room for error, damaging draws against Samsunspor, Alanyaspor and Sivasspor could cost the Istanbul giants the title.
Fenerbahce do still have a potentially make-or-break clash against their neighbours looming – Fred and co travel across the city in May – but Galatasaray are now in control of their own destiny, and have the feel of a runaway train which will take some derailing.
“It is not possible to be happy when the result is like this, a disappointed Fred told Sporx, Fenerbahce doing what his former employers have done frequently throughout this season as they conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to Sivasspor.
“It is difficult to talk (about it). We have other important matches ahead of us (but) this match was very important. We took the lead twice, but it ended in a draw. We were not good enough.”
Fred’s Fenerbahce could miss out
Fred’s six year stint at Old Trafford was full of near-misses. The perennial bridesmaids, if you will. The Brazil international was part of that team which finished as runners-up under Solskjaer. He also lost the Europa League decider to Villarreal and suffered heartbreak in countless semi-final clashes.
Barring a late and dramatic collapse from Galatasaray – something which feels fanciful indeed for a side closing in on 20 successive league wins – Fred may soon be left with a familiar pang of frustration.
There are no prizes, as Solskjaer learned the hard way, for ‘second-best’.