Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag is ready to show off his new signings vs Crysta (Image: Getty)
The last time Manchester United rocked up at Selhurst Park, Jonny Evans and Casemiro was their starting centre-back partnership. It wasn’t much surprise then that Erik ten Hag’s side were ruthlessly beaten by a clinical Crystal Palace team, thriving with the new manager bounce from Oliver Glasner, with such a humiliating inevitability.
The Eagles roared to a 4-0 success at Selhurst Park to clinch arguably their best-ever victory in the Premier League, or at least one of the most memorable. For United, it was memorable for all of the wrong reasons.
A defensive crisis left their squad threadbare, but Ten Hag’s mismanagement and the players’ lack of desire culminated in a pitiful display from the Red Devils.
Some four months later and a very different United team will arrive in south London on Saturday. Six players in their squad – Marcus Rashford, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui – didn’t play in last season’s game and the sextet will be desperate to put things right.
The decision to sign De Ligt and Mazraoui is looking every bit a piece of shrewd business from Dan Ashworth and the INEOS clan. A combined £60million fee for established internationals with Champions League experience and a track history of winning titles is a small price to pay if it means transforming the mentality at Old Trafford.
De Ligt opened his United account in the 3-0 win over Southampton, while Mazraoui is performing to a high level at full-back. With utmost respect to Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot, United have upgraded their options by bringing in the former Bayern Munich duo.
Matthijs de Ligt (L) and Noussair Mazraoui (R) have hit the ground running at Man Utd (Image: Getty)
Further up the pitch, things are looking up too after a crushing 7-0 victory against Barnsley, with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho both scoring twice as Ten Hag’s men recorded their biggest win of the Dutchman’s 27-month reign.
The former needed that morale boost so badly after a torrid campaign last term in which he scored just seven times in the league, while the sky is the limit for 20-year-old wonderkid Garnacho, who continues to go from strength to strength in United red.
Palace come into the game without a win this season and, having reluctantly sold Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, there is an air of vulnerability about them. It’s the very same they sensed from United in May 2024 when Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta terrorised their backline.
Now it’s time for revenge and redemption. United cannot afford to lose games like this having already been beaten twice in four matches, and another repeat of last season would very quickly turn the heat on Ten Hag if it isn’t on him already.
Manuel Ugarte will add some toughness to the Man Utd midfield (Image: Getty)
But he has reasons to be confident. There’s Joshua Zirkzee, who has proved to be a handy finisher and outlet in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund. Then, at the back, the leadership of Lisandro Martinez cannot be understated – the Argentinian is one of the most popular players at the club behind Bruno Fernandes.
The tough-tackling £50m man Manuel Ugarte, poised to make his full debut, will go chomping around the ankles of Adam Wharton to retrieve the ball.
Last year, United looked rudderless and feeble, with Evans past his best and Christian Eriksen was overrun in midfield. Antony’s performance was dismal, Mason Mount anonymous and Hojlund stifled.
Nobody will deny they have spent big to change their fortunes again, but United are back with a vengeance and a host of better players to right some of the wrongs of last season.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1951378/Man-Utd-Erik-ten-Hag-Crystal-Palace