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HomeSports And EntertainmentCoach Ten Hag Explains Man United 4-0 Loss To Palace

Coach Ten Hag Explains Man United 4-0 Loss To Palace

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Eric ten Hag vowed to keep fighting as Manchester United manager, but said his players did not follow the “plan and script” in their 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday.

Manchester United suffered a heavy defeat to a rampant Crystal Palace that added to manager Erik ten Hag woes.

It was United’s 13th Premier League defeat this season, their worst ever return.

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The defeat leaves them in eighth, out of the qualification spots for Europe, and the alarming manner of the defeat only served to increase the pressure on Ten Hag, who said this defeat was lowest point of the season.

United were swatted aside with ease at Selhurst Park on Monday, with Michael Olise scoring twice in a superb performance from the 14th-placed Eagles, whose fantastic form under Oliver Glasner continued as they did the league double over United for the first time in Premier League history while it is their biggest win over them since 1972.

Olise opened the scoring early on before Jean-Philippe Mateta doubled Palace’s lead before half-time – Tyrick Mitchell getting in on the act just prior to the hour.

Casemiro’s calamitous error resulted in Olise hammering in a sublime long-range strike to compound United’s misery, and the Red Devils, who face Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday, are in real danger of missing out on the European places as they sit in eight place, behind Chelsea on goal difference and two points further adrift of sixth-place Newcastle United.

United’s makeshift defence was left exposed just 12 minutes in – Olise able to skip easily beyond Casemiro’s challenge, drive into the box and, under little pressure, send a finish into the bottom-right corner.

Olise might have doubled his tally soon after, but Mateta could not get out of the way of his team-mate’s goal-bound strike.

United seemed to have made their luck count when a goalmouth scramble resulted in the ball nestling into the back of Dean Henderson’s net, but it was disallowed for Rasmus Hojlund’s challenge on the Palace goalkeeper.

Olise squandered a brilliant chance to make it 2-0 when he elected to try and round Andre Onana at the other end, but the Eagles soon had their second when Mateta brilliantly slammed home from a tight angle after evading Jonny Evans.

Casemiro saw a goal ruled out for offside in the 53rd minute, but United’s resolve was soon broken again as Palace swiftly reasserted their dominance.

Following two fine Onana saves, Mitchell tucked in from close range after United failed to clear their lines from a set-piece.

It was 4-0 in the 66th minute – Casemiro again at fault as he capitulated under pressure from Daniel Munoz. He teed up Olise, who curled a powerful effort down the centre of Onana’s goal to cap a famous win for Palace, who hit the woodwork late on through Odsonne Edouard.

United were without new absentees Bruno Fernandes, Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire for the trip to Selhurst Park, leaving them with a makeshift centre-back combination of Casemiro and Jonny Evans. And Palace pulled them apart, with Michael Olise scoring two brilliant goals in either half, Jean-Philippe Mateta slotting home a brilliant effort and Tyrick Mitchell also tapping home.

When asked on Sky Sports post-match if he was the right man for the job, Ten Hag replied: “Absolutely. The right players are there. We have a good squad.”

He added: “I will keep fighting. I prepared the team in the best way I could do. It was not good enough, it was by far not good enough. I have to take the responsibility for that. But I will find energy and I will prepare them for Sunday’s game.”

But Ten Hag did admit this defeat was a bitter blow. When asked if this was the lowest point of the season so far, he answered: “Yes. It was very poor how we give the goals away, especially when we prepare the team and the conceding of the first goal is very disappointing. How easy and the easy giveaways.

“That shouldn’t happen and certainly not in the circumstances we are in because we have problems but then we have to help each other out.”

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