Five takeaways from Man Utd’s dismal defeat to Crystal Palace
The last time Manchester United started a league season with four defeats from their first seven games, one fan unsheathed an infamous banner calling for Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure.
If United continue to limp through the season, it can’t be too much longer before bed sheets begin to appear with „Ta Ra Ten Hag“ scrawled across them.
Saturday’s dismal 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace, a smattering of days after beating the same opposition on the same ground in the Carabao Cup, left Man Utd mired in the ignominy of mid-table.
Here are the key takeaways from another afternoon most in Manchester would rather forget.
The volley of boos that rained down upon United at full-time naturally attracted headlines but it was an absence of noise that proved just as instructive. An eery hush descended across Old Trafford as Eberechi Eze lined up a first-half free-kick, almost as if the crowd saw Joachim Andersen’s crisp opener coming – they were certainly more aware of the imminent threat than the muddled bodies in red (theoretically) defending the set piece.
„I understand,“ Ten Hag shrugged when confronted with the crowd’s boos. „We play at home, we play Crystal Palace – we have to win, with all respect. I know every Premier League game is difficult but fans expect a win and we didn’t win. We lost.“
The first flickers of descent emerged during United’s humbling against Brighton on the same ground two weeks earlier. During that far more convincing 3-1 reverse, the crowd voiced their fervent disapproval of Ten Hag’s decision to substitute striker Rasmus Hojlund while United chased a goal. If results don’t pick up soon, the antipathy will continue to swell.
Much has been made of Sofyan Amrabat’s experience of playing under Ten Hag at FC Utrecht – even by the player himself upon his unveiling – but the Dutch coach seems to have only remembered a brief snippet of their time together on either side of summer 2016.
Amrabat made half a century of appearances under Ten Hag in the Netherlands including three on the left side of defence. On each occasion, Utrecht failed to earn a single win or clean sheet. None of Amrabat’s other coaches have ever shoehorned the right-footer onto his unnatural side but injury has forced Ten Hag’s hand this term.
The natural defensive midfielder regularly stepped into midfield when United had possession but was repeatedly unnerved when Jordan Ayew – hardly the division’s premier wide man – ran at him.
There’s no secret to Marcus Rashford’s success – he reminds everyone each time he scores and points to his temple. The 25-year-old forward put the most prolific campaign of his career last term down to being in „a better headspace“.
As arguably the most high-profile figure at Manchester United, the off-pitch turmoil that has swamped the club this season cannot have helped Rashford centre his mind. The England international was himself involved in a minor car crash last weekend, emerging physically unscathed but to a torrent of ridiculous criticism for the cost of the vehicle he was driving.
Only two players in Europe’s top five leagues have attempted more shots than Rashford this season yet he only has one goal to his name.
Patience and some compassion will be key – which Ten Hag seems to be preaching. „He knows he can do better and I am sure it will come,“ the manager insisted. „He works hard. He will net and it will come but it is not going to be automatic. The team has to invest a lot around him.“
Ten Hag has two pictures of Johan Cruyff in his office and clearly agrees with the legendary Dutchman’s antagonistic tactics to get the best out of his players.
Prior to Palace’s second visit to Old Trafford, Ten Hag bluntly assessed that Alejandro Garnacho’s previous starts were „not good enough“. The electric teenager came off the bench on Saturday with a point to prove, injecting some much-needed energy into the team’s flagging frontline.
In just 30 minutes, Garnacho took nine touches in Palace’s box – more than all but one of his teammates who started the contest. Surely he will be in line for a start against Galatasaray in midweek.
United boasted more than three-quarters of possession but only forced Palace’s goalkeeper Sam Johnstone into three saves throughout. Roy Hodgson’s visitors didn’t surprise anyone by ceding possession and coiling into a tight rearguard before springing forward on the counter but United had few answers.
Ten Hag blamed his entire team’s decision-making after watching his side again struggle to break down a low block. „We get into the right spot and then you have to make the right decisions to create more,“ the manager sighed. „I think we created many occasions in front of the goal but we had to net and we didn’t. We can only blame ourselves.“
That familiar feeling of frustration will dog United for as long as they fail to construct a clear plan in possession.