Three things Erik Ten Hag got wrong as sorry Man Utd lose to Crystal Palace
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Manchester United have thrown away all the momentum they built on Tuesday after losing 1-0 to Crystal Palace.
The defeat was their fifth of the season and their fourth in the Premier League and leaves them in the bottom half of the table heading into October. Joachim Andersen bagged the winner with a stunning volley following a Jeffrey Schlupp flick-on from a set-piece in the first-half, and although United dominated the ball for the rest of the afternoon, their performance, yet again, wasn't up to snuff.
Erik ten Hag hasn't been particularly blessed in the luck department this season, but there were plenty of decisions to make ahead what was a must-win game. Here, Daily Star Sport runs through the things the he got wrong out there today.
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Mount in the pivot
Mason Mount hasn't managed a single goal or assist since joining United, and his starting position might be a contributing factor. The ex-Chelsea man has been deployed next to Casemiro in a two-man pivot, and although he gets forward far more than his Brazilian team-mate, he's more-often-than-not a little too deep to properly affect things in the final third.
Mount made a name for himself at Stamford Bridge by popping up in the space between the opposition's defensive and midfield lines and being a real threat in and around the box, and he's struggled to have the same impact given the positional requirements of his role in Ten Hag's team.
Bruno Fernandes, who is United's first choice No. 10, isn't going to be dropped anytime soon, so Mount will have to get used to the more all-encompassing role that's being asked of him. But until that happens, his goal and assist drought might have some legs.
What did you make of Man Utd's performance today? Let us know in the comments section below.
Pellistri over Garnacho
With Jadon Sancho and Antony both unavailable, there's a gaping hole at right wing in Ten Hag's team. Facundo Pellistri looks to have a bright future, but what United need now more than anything is reliability and goals.
Ten Hag took a gamble and started Pellistri over the (slightly) more experienced Alejandro Garnacho, who scored United's opener against Palace in mid-week. Granted, Garnacho is better on the left than he is on the right, but the Argentine offered far more going forward than Pellistri did after replacing him on the hour-mark, and really ought to have started the game.
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Amrabat at left-back
It feels a little harsh to criticise Ten Hag for playing a defensive midfielder at left-back when all three of his left-backs are out injured, but was Sofyan Amrabat really the best option? Sure, he played there against Palace on Tuesday, but was hooked on 60 minutes after a couple of shaky moments.
Centre-backs, generally-speaking, are pretty good at slotting in as makeshift full-backs, and Victor Lindelof, who partnered Raphael Varane in the middle today, has played there on occasion. Surely, as an instinctive defender, Lindelof would've been a smarter option at left-back, with either Harry Maguire or Jonny Evans filling in for him in the centre. Between Amrabat and Marcus 'doesn't like to track back' Rashford, it was open season for Palace on United's left-flank, and Ten Hag must take the blame for that.
- Manchester United FC
- Crystal Palace FC
- Premier League
- Erik ten Hag
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