[Moriarty]

I really thought we'd kick on from the last two games and take the points we really need. Bit of an anti-climax really.

 

[stevoc]

And Rashford comes on and he’s absolutely abysmal. Draw what conclusions you may.

It's always a roll of the dice with Marcus. But given how streaky he has been over his career and how much we've been struggling for goals in the league. Dropping him instead of trying to build on his recent return to form probably wasn't the smartest idea.

 

[Zumbi]

Thank you for calling my thoughts nonsense. I appreciate that.

I'm sure Ten Hag knew something we didn't, about Zirkzees fitness. There was no reason other than that to justify that substitution. Bruno was poor, yes. But fitness wise he is a monster. And he's the captain, and capable of delivering match winning actions. We've seen that sooo many times. Also, i'm pretty sure that Højlund wasn't ready to play for 30 minutes - hence the Rashford as striker substitution.

It's so easy to criticise the manager.

Specifically, the actions of our manager in combination with our continually poor results, make it easy to criticize the manager.

 

[croadyman]

Will only ever accept a draw if we equalise late on or get absolutely dominated, however neither happened so can keep that point

 

[Devil81]

On another day we'd have won that game and been happy. A draw away at Palace isn't a disgrace and to be totally honest I think we're growing as a side. My only concern is I'm not 100% convinced on the strikers to deliver for us.

I like Zirskee and I feel we lost our shape and patern of plays when he went off but he looks miles off a goalscoring striker. Hojlund needs a big second season, he had a poor Euros and for me the question marks are out for him.

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

That’s the problem with United. Players who are playing better will always get subbed to make sure Bruno/Rashford get game time.

Logical sub for me would have been Ugarte for Eriksen because Palace were already starting to break easily. Then Hojlund for Bruno and play Zirkzee in Bruno’s position

Totally agree, ETH doesn’t help himself and will ultimately pay the price for refusing the obvious options/choices.

 

[Escobar]

On another day we'd have won that game and been happy. A draw away at Palace isn't a disgrace and to be totally honest I think we're growing as a side. My only concern is I'm not 100% convinced on the strikers to deliver for us.

I like Zirskee and I feel we lost our shape and patern of plays when he went off but he looks miles off a goalscoring striker. Hojlund needs a big second season, he had a poor Euros and for me the question marks are out for him.

How we have fallen. Under SAF, after that first half, he would have been ripped apart as well as the team. Nowadays we accept it as we did not lose and played decent football

 

[Denis79]

First half was pretty good but it really went downhill after that.

 

[The Brown Bull]

Two points dropped.

 

[Cassidy]

Totally agree, ETH doesn’t help himself and will ultimately pay the price for refusing the obvious options/choices.

Sooo he should not have brought on the player who has 3 goals in the last 2 games when looking for a goal. Interesting

 

[TrivelaDeBruno]

Anti-Ten Hag brigade really has one thing on their mind. Kinda boring

Lost their mind would be more accurate at the moment.

 

[Sea-Cow]

We were quite good in the first half and should have been up at the break. The second-half was not very good at all and the captain was the worst player on the pitch, by a mile.

Considering we should have been down a man for the last thirty minutes or so, I am ok with taking the point. Puts a lot of pressure on the lads to find a performance next week against Spurs, but who knows, maybe we take our chances next time.

 

[ken11]

Yes I'm technically shortsighted

Put on your glasses next time you watch the game.

 

[JediSith]

Hojlund's first touch is genuinely so terrible it makes Lukaku's first touch look World Class.

Not really. First match back in ages. Usually his touch is ok.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Well, the Eriksen and Mainoo looked like the right call with our control of the game and chances. I'll give ETH credit for that.

Poor decision to take off Zirkzee.

Trying to stay positive because I thought the 1st half was great. But still so depressing we could not capitalize. Bummer.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Play Zirkzee behind Rasmus and drop Bruno

I'd give this a go. I love Bruno but he could use a wake up call. Even it's Eriksen in his role with Ugarte/Mainoo behind.

 

[RoyH1]

Why do we find it so hard to score? Sigh.

 

[Plant0x84]

Can’t score for shit.

Odd comment after scoring 10 in the previous 2 games.

 

[Devil81]

How we have fallen. Under SAF, after that first half, he would have been ripped apart as well as the team. Nowadays we accept it as we did not lose and played decent football

Because we have to accept we've been at rock bottom and the climb up is going to be long and hard.

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

I get the frustrations but today is a good day and one we can take very real positives from. If we play like that over the rest of the season we will be tough to beat and likely be pushing hard for top 4.

 

[Wolfbot]

We did? Thought we were average. Not enough intensity on the pitch.

We did, thought that game contained some of the best football we've seen under Ten Hag.

With it being Erik though, there always has to be something...so he takes off the players that have been helping us create chances and dominate the game, and he brings on a striker that did not look anywhere near match fit.

Also instead of going up a gear in the last 10/15 to try to get the win, it felt like we actually went down to the lowest possible levels of effort and intensity. Strange one.

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

Sooo he should not have brought on the player who has 3 goals in the last 2 games when looking for a goal. Interesting

I’d have started him for Amad, not played him as a sub.

 

[Parma Dewol]

The bitter disappointment has calmed down, now I’m just annoyed and frustrated.

We were really good for 60 minutes. The best we’ve played in a while. Tough ground to go to, yet we completely dominated in all areas. Good pressing, excellent ball retention, fast passing, lots of movement, and we were patient in getting through them. Created so many good opportunities. Even our set pieces looked dangerous.

How we never scored, well, that annoyingly is just one of those things. The frustration is that we failed to kick on in the last half hour. Having had so much of the ball, I’d expected Palace to tire and eventually concede. If anything, it was us who fizzled out.

There’s huge debate over whether the subs were right or wrong, but in the final 30, I thought the team as a whole just didn’t show enough urgency. Almost as though we didn’t want to risk losing it.

Annoyed as I am, there was a lot of good in the game today. At least that’s what I’m telling myself to dampen the disappointment.

 

[USREDEVIL]

Unlucky today
Used up all our clinical scoring against barnsleeh

 

[moodyred]

Love the football we played. Up to the point zirkzee was taken off. That was a title winning performance. I hope we can build on this.

 

[Zed 101]

1st half I was watching thinking we were well on top, but also that we were ponderous and man was it a dull watch for long periods, we had the possession but it was pretty ineffective, the commentator went on about the saves Hendo made, but the shots were off target anyway, I do not want to pile in on ETH but there always seems to be a compromise in terms of what his team can do.

2nd half we still should have won but created next to nothing, seems like CP had move answers than we did in terms of changing the game but then they could hardly have been worse than the 1st half.

We should have had that game wrapped but by half time, despite being very much in the ETH camp I will take the positives, compared to last season it was an improvement, it shouldn't make his position any stronger but also not the result to break the camel's back and see him fired.

Sum up in 1 word: Underwhelming

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

I’d have started him for Amad, not played him as a sub.

And you’d have had our performance levels much worse for longer

 

[dave1956]

Eriksen, best ball passing player we have, also I noticed to day which has been absent among players that he took responsibility and was prepared to be very vocal in directing and organising players movements both in attack and defence. A Captain's performance in that regard. His direction and flight of the ball from corners was very good, caused problems all through the game. Rashford after a good performance in his last game failed to make any impact when he came on, disappointed because I thought he would have shown that he should have started, however, showed in my opinion that the manager was correct in not starting him. Overall an improvement in general play and performance, but finishing is still a huge problem.

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

And you’d have had our performance levels much worse for longer

No, I don’t think so. Personal opinion. But I’d drop Bruno which would make our performance levels a lot higher.

 

[Still ill]

I guess I'm broken to some extent but I was really happy with most of that today. Feels like a massive jump forward from last season. Some lovely football, calm, composed, controlled....progress, proper progress.

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

No, I don’t think so. Personal opinion. But I’d drop Bruno which would make our performance levels a lot higher.

This I could get behind a lot more. Amad is fundamental to the good football we are playing at the moment. Bruno is struggling though!

 

[antohan]

Yea we lost Erikson, amad, and zirkzee.

I know, scary isn't it? Imagine actually losing them.

 

[House Mkhitaryan]

I cannot believe people are content with that performance today. First half was ok, though we didn't even score. The last 30 minutes were an absolute travesty.

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

This I could get behind a lot more. Amad is fundamental to the good football we are playing at the moment. Bruno is struggling though!

Going with this for example would have been better today, then we keep Amad on.

Amad…Zirkzee…Garnacho
………....Rashford

I honestly think it’s time to start moving away from Bruno even if we experiment this season to find the right blend.

 

[Godfather]

Going with this for example would have been better today, then we keep Amad on.

Amad…Zirkzee…Garnacho
………....Rashford

I honestly think it’s time to start moving away from Bruno even if we experiment this season to find the right blend.

What is Rashford doing in that position I wonder

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

What is Rashford doing in that position I wonder

Scoring goals hopefully, Hojlund isn’t ready to start games, Zirkzee is a better provider and Rashford has scored 3 in last 2.

 

[lex talionis]

However thrilled some of us are with the overall performance, it should be recalled that the opponent was a winless Palace and that Palace had our balls in their hands late in the game, when we were hanging on by a thread.

 

[Bastian]

However thrilled some of us are with the overall performance, it should be recalled that the opponent was a winless Palace and that Palace had our balls in their hands late in the game, when we were hanging on by a thread.

This is a Palace side that's in a false position, they'll improve no doubt. And going there has almost always been daunting. We had the crowd quiet for most of the match. It is so rare to see a game like this in the last decade, where United dominate almost from start to finish.

They had 3 great chances in the last quarter of the match after we'd spurned quite a few chances and quite a few rushed moments where we could have taken an extra pass to open them up. Apart from those chances it felt like I was only watching United in possession and nothing dull about it, just frustrating when we started to lose composure in possession in the last 15-20 minutes (which maybe coincided with Zirkzee coming off).

 

[2 man midfield]

I think we might now actually be at the point where we sign that “missing piece of the jigsaw” player. We’re a decent side, just lacking that bit of cutting edge.

 

[OT_United]

I cannot believe people are content with that performance today. First half was ok, though we didn't even score. The last 30 minutes were an absolute travesty.

Agree last 30 mins was diabolical.
Last 15 was just defence passing sideways and backwards. Do the players not want to try get the win?
Attacking play went out of the window when Rashford replaced Zirkzee.