“He won’t be starting till further notice…He must clearly improve to included in the squad again”: Erik ten Hag finally bows to fans pressure, removed big name player from the squad till further notice
Manchester United had been playing pretty well lately, but Erik ten Hag’s team lost another game when they were held to a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday night. It may be time for the boss to make some tough decisions about which players to play.
The fans were down after a 3-0 loss at home to fierce rivals Liverpool before the international break. There were big wins for Manchester United against Southampton in the league and Barnsley in the EFL Cup. It looked like they had turned things around.
If United’s lackluster showing on Saturday is any indication, they still have a long way to go this season in order to get back into the top four. United had more control and more shots on goal than their opponents, but fans are upset about one player’s play.
Ten Hag Has to Decide What to Do About Fernandes
The leader had a hard time making a mark at Selhurst Park. Bruno Fernandes has been out of form this season, even though he signed a new long-term deal with the club earlier this summer. His showing against Palace on Saturday night was typical of the midfielder’s recent poor play, and Ten Hag needs to change things up.
Based on Sofascore, Fernandes lost the ball 34 times in the 94 minutes played at Selhurst Park, which could have cost the team. This is in light of the fact that Amad Diallo turned the ball over 19 times, which was the second most of any player.
With the last kick of the game, Fernandes had a chance to make things right because United got a late free kick. However, his ball into the box was easily dealt with and cleared by the Palace defense. Unfortunately, the center could only pass 72% of the time, which was the worst of all the players.