Erik ten Hag admitted that Manchester United’s season reached a new nadir after they were thrashed 4-0 by a rampant Crystal Palace.
Two goals from Michael Olise helped Oliver Glasner’s side record their second-biggest victory ever against United as they followed up their win at Old Trafford in September by completing the double. The result left Ten Hag’s side in eighth place in the league with just three games to play having fallen behind Newcastle and Chelsea in the race for European qualification after their victories at the weekend.
Asked if the performance was a low point in what has been an extremely disappointing second season at the helm, the Dutchman said: “Yes. It was very poor how we gave the goals away. Especially when we prepare the team and how we conceded the first goal is very disappointing.
“It was a team performance that was not correct, making big mistakes. Not following the plan or the script. We have individual mistakes but we should cover each other, we let each other down.”
United were without Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire due to injury, with Casemiro enduring a nightmare evening as a stand-in central defender. Ten Hag acknowledged that United must improve and urged his players to take inspiration from their travelling supporters, who stayed until the end on a rainy night at Selhurst Park.
“It is clear and it is obvious. This is underperforming,” he said. “We didn’t act how we want to do it and it’s by far not good enough. This is only the fourth game we have lost in 2024 because the team was following the script. We were hard to beat in a lot of games and today we were easy to beat. The fans from minute one to the end were behind the team. They see the problems they have.”
It was a third successive home victory for Palace, with Glasner challenging the club’s owners to make sure they keep hold of Olise and Eberechi Eze in the summer.
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“It’s the job of the club to keep all the players,” he said. “I know they’ll try everything possible. You never know how your squad will look when the next season starts. They’re amazing players, this is an amazing group.”
