The way Man United’s players performed against Crystal Palace on Monday night has drawn harsh criticism.
Manchester United’s players were second best at Selhurst Park. (Image: Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images.)
After Manchester United’s 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Crystal Palace on Monday night, former Manchester City right-back Bacary Sagna has accused the team of “giving up”.
With just three games remaining in the Premier League season, United suffered their record-breaking 13th loss, dropping them to eighth place in the standings. From late February onwards, the Reds have only won two of their previous ten Premier League games.
It has therefore put additional strain on manager Erik ten Hag’s shoulders. Under his leadership, United has underperformed this season, and it is unclear if he will be given a third term as manager the following year.
Ten Hag’s coaching style has come under heavy criticism, and there’s no doubting his role in United’s season-long collapse, but the players must also take responsibility for such a dismal run of play. The way the team lost at Selhurst Park also seemed to indicate to former City defender Sagna that the players had given up.
“Manchester United does not have any momentum,” Sagna said to Paddy Power. “Things would be different if coaching was simple for any coach. After United’s 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace, many will doubt Erik ten Hag’s ability to lead the team, but it appeared as though the players had given up on the campaign.
“It can vary greatly from season to season; with Arsenal, for example, there were demands made for Mikel Arteta to resign, but look at him now. Ten Hag should, in my opinion, be given more time, told to forget about this season, and encouraged to wrap things up well.
“He’s not the one on the field, so I wouldn’t get rid of him just because they’ve had a poor season. He makes the choices, of course, but he chooses good players. If something is against you, it’s against you, and this season it seems to be against United.”
