Man United present acquainted failings in loss to Crystal Palace
Rob DawsonCorrespondent
MANCHESTER, England — Tender objectives conceded, David De Gea errors and shedding video games they need to not; for Manchester United, Saturday’s defeat to Crystal Palace had a sense of final season about it, fairly than a daring new period underneath Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
There was sufficient within the first two video games of the season, which introduced victory towards Chelsea and a draw at Wolves, to counsel issues had been transferring in the proper path. Nevertheless, this 2-1 reverse — their first towards Palace for 28 years — was a actuality examine for house followers.
Many streamed out after Patrick van Aanholt’s stoppage-time winner, little doubt feeling they’d seen all of it earlier than; United conceded two poor objectives, and on the different finish, a scarcity of creativity restricted the hosts to only three photographs heading in the right direction.
They’re the identical issues that contributed to a run of eight defeats from 12 video games on the finish of final season, which adopted wins in 14 of Solskjaer’s first 17 video games in cost. There is a sense that followers are ready to search out out which model of this crew is the reality: Will the true Manchester United please arise?
Solskjaer was fast to say after this newest setback that his crew are two transformed penalties away from sitting on the high of the Premier League desk with 9 factors from 9, however that ignores apparent issues.
After an encouraging begin to the season, Man United have come again to earth with a thud. Getty
United are in need of artistic choices in midfield and prolific scorers up entrance, and that is unlikely to be the final time this season a crew visits Previous Trafford to defend deep and assault on the break. Neil Warnock pulled it off with relegated Cardiff on the ultimate day of final season and his fellow septuagenarian Roy Hodgson oversaw an analogous show as beforehand winless Palace performed issues completely.
Not that they had been with out assist, for United appeared decided to shoot themselves within the foot. The primary aim got here from a easy punt up subject: Jeffrey Schlupp flicked on after outjumping Victor Lindelof, and Jordan Ayew took benefit of Harry Maguire’s poor positioning to roll his end previous De Gea.
If that was dangerous, Palace’s winner was even worse. After United lastly discovered an equaliser within the 89th minute via Daniel James’ wonderful curling end, Paul Pogba gave the ball away in midfield and the next breakaway led to Van Aanholt rifling a shot that ought to have been saved at his close to put up by De Gea, however as a substitute squirmed into the online.
The goalkeeper’s type grew to become an issue throughout that dire run on the finish of final season and Solskjaer will hope De Gea’s newest gaffe is a one-off, fairly than an indication of issues to return. In any case, the supervisor has sufficient on his plate with out having to fret about altering his goalkeeper, particularly what is occurring on the different finish of the pitch.
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United had 77% possession on a heat, sunny day, however might muster fewer than a handful of photographs on aim. And this was not a defeat that was all the way down to heroics from the visiting goalkeeper as a result of Vicente Guaita barely had a save to make. Certainly, he was not even stretched by United’s newest penalty woes; Marcus Rashford stepped up forward of Pogba, solely to see his spot kick hit the put up.
Luck, so typically with United final season, abandoned them once more, however Solskjaer’s males additionally ran out of concepts, having realised it was not attainable to counter assault towards a crew defending so deep. It was fully predictable, some would possibly argue, and highlighted but once more that, whereas Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka solidify the defence, there’s a lack of invention additional ahead and the attacking choices are weaker after the departure of Romelu Lukaku.
The now-Inter striker cut up opinion amongst supporters, however he averaged a aim each two video games and no different participant boasts an analogous ratio. When Solskjaer turned to his bench within the second half on Saturday, he might solely throw on 17-year-old Mason Greenwood.
It’s optimistic that the membership has a lot religion in such a younger participant and Greenwood does have huge potential, however it’s a lot to anticipate a youngster with no aggressive senior aim to vary a recreation. He’ll finally, however not but.
Defeat to Crystal Palace just isn’t a catastrophe — it’s only the third week of the season, in spite of everything — nevertheless it did present the issues that stay. One former United participant was heard telling a bunch of followers “we’re crap” as he left the stadium on Saturday night. Whereas the state of affairs just isn’t fairly that dangerous, the hangover of final season remains to be inflicting Solskjaer a headache.