Erik ten Hag admits Man Utd's loss to Crystal Palace was the worst of the season but insists he's the right manager – Sky Sports
Football
Man Utd hit a new low as they were humiliated by Crystal Palace in a 4-0 defeat at Selhurst Park on Monday Night Football; Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher called Casemiro’s performance “embarrassing”; Watch Man Utd vs Arsenal on Sunday, live on Sky Sports; Kick-off 4.30pm
Tuesday 7 May 2024 13:21, UK
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Erik ten Hag admitted Manchester United’s 4-0 hammering at Crystal Palace was the lowest point of their season so far but believes he is still the right manager to take the club forward.
Michael Olise struck twice alongside goals from Tyrick Mitchell and Jean-Philippe Mateta on Monday night to plunge United’s season to new depths and leave them eighth in the Premier League with a goal difference of minus-three.
United have conceded 81 goals in all competitions this season, their most in a single campaign since 1976-77, with their makeshift defence run-ragged at Selhurst Park as Casemiro was exposed at centre-back.
Olise was afforded too much space in midfield for Palace’s first goal which came from a throw-in, with Ten Hag revealing the players didn’t implement his instructions.
“It’s a goal that shouldn’t happen because we really give clear instructions how we should defend this,” he told Sky Sports. “They didn’t bring it on the pitch. We got hammered.
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“It is very disappointing. Under-performing. Definitely the worst defeat. We should have done better.
“We are aware, as a team performance, we were not correct, making big mistakes and not following the plan and the script and the rules we have.
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“There was one issue but also on the left side, there were two players doubling up on one player. That’s very poor defending.”
Casemiro missed his tackle on Olise in the build-up to the opener although Ten Hag insisted the team was at fault.
“You can’t put this [down to] one player. It’s a team performance,” he said. “The throw-in when you concede the first goal, that shouldn’t happen.
“That’s the team because we don’t follow the rules, we don’t adapt to a slightly different situation, to organise, to keep control in that situation. Five players over the ball and they have a throw-in, it’s not possible.
“It’s clear, it’s obvious, this is underperforming. We didn’t act how we wanted to and it’s not good enough. We are very disappointed. Our fans were behind us and we should have kept fighting like the fans did.
“There are always reasons, everyone sees our backline – we have huge problems. At the end of the day, we have to deal with it.”
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Ten Hag has been confident of remaining at the club beyond the summer, despite the uncertainty over his position as INEOS make sweeping changes to the football structure – and he was unmoved after this latest defeat.
“Absolutely,” he said when asked by Sky Sports if he was the right person for the job. “If the right players are available, we have a good squad. We miss almost the whole backline and then we have problems.
“I will keep fighting. I prepared the team in the best way I could do. It was not good enough, I have to take responsibility for that but I will find energy and prepare them for Sunday’s game.”
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Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football:
“This is one of the most poorly coached teams in the Premier League. That is a fact. That is not an opinion. That is a fact. The numbers tell you that when you see them bottom of the league defensively, lower than Sheffield United.
“I struggled to see how United would win tonight but I thought Palace would win one or two nil. No Manchester United team should be getting beaten 4-0 by Crystal Palace.
“Manchester United’s U23 team, if they are at Manchester United, have come through their academy, have been coached and taught to play, I would still not expect them to lose 4-0.
“I have never been a manager or a coach but I have been a player and I have been coached by top coaches and some of the things that I see are just wrong.”
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