“You’re getting sacked in the morning” were the words that emerged from the Crystal Palace supporters, as their team ran riot over Man United. Whilst that seems unlikely – United’s 4-nil drubbing felt like another nail in Ten Hag’s coffin.
United were woeful at best, looked all over the place and out of their depth. The shambolic display of Casemiro in central defense was the most glaring example, with the former Madrid man’s age showing.
The lack of availability of defensive players will earn him some slack, but the manager needs to bear some responsibility and questions will be asked of Ten Hag who played him out of position and left him there to struggle all game long.
If the restructured Man United hierarchy had not decided to begin their search for a new manager in the summer, the embarrassing nature of this defeat surely makes it a more likely proposition.
Man United have an FA Cup final still to come this season and with the form that their noisy neighbors are in, it could be a long day at the office for Ten Hag and his backroom staff.
Haaland is fresh off a four-goal rout against Wolves. Indeed, the Norway international is the third different player to score two first-half hat-tricks in Premier League history (also v Nottingham Forest last season), after Andrew Cole and Michael Owen.
Against Crystal Palace, Man United couldn’t get close to Olise and the dangerman made them pay. He consistently found space and moved the ball forward, driving into United territory when he had the ball. Both of his goals were dispatched with conviction, despite the calamitous defending that preceded them.
The question remains, “Can Ten Hag come back from this?”