Eric ten Hag vowed to keep fighting as Manchester United manager, but said his players did not follow the “plan and script” in their 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday.
It was United’s 13th Premier League defeat this season, their worst ever return. The defeat leaves them in eighth, out of the qualification spots for Europe, and the alarming manner of the defeat only served to increase the pressure on Ten Hag, who said this defeat was lowest point of the season.
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United were without new absentees Bruno Fernandes, Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire for the trip to Selhurst Park, leaving them with a makeshift centre-back combination of Casemiro and Jonny Evans. And Palace pulled them apart, with Michael Olise scoring two brilliant goals in either half, Jean-Philippe Mateta slotting home a brilliant effort and Tyrick Mitchell also tapping home.
When asked on Sky Sports post-match if he was the right man for the job, Ten Hag replied: “Absolutely. The right players are there. We have a good squad.”
He added: “I will keep fighting. I prepared the team in the best way I could do. It was not good enough, it was by far not good enough. I have to take the responsibility for that. But I will find energy and I will prepare them for Sunday’s game.”
But Ten Hag did admit this defeat was a bitter blow. When asked if this was the lowest point of the season so far, he answered: “Yes. It was very poor how we give the goals away, especially when we prepare the team and the conceding of the first goal is very disappointing. How easy and the easy giveaways.
“That shouldn’t happen and certainly not in the circumstances we are in because we have problems but then we have to help each other out.”
