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Three trophies were placed next to the pitch at Old Trafford, but they were for individual awards rather than valuables from the stadium museum. This Manchester United does not look like a team that needs to polish silver in the short term.
No amount of context or regret for the sad video assistant referee can mask the state of regression United are already stuck in. They have been immobile since they made the Champions League profit at the end of July and are already risking not staying in competition next season.
United cannot attribute this to the pedantry of referee Martin Atkinson or the robotic nature of modern football. This was about the questionable choices of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the complacent players, and the hard-working negotiators. Ed Woodward was present, captured apparently smiling with Palace in front. Even a mask cannot hide scrutiny over Woodward’s body language, particularly when there has only been a signal. Donny van de Beek scored but did not start.
The club that prioritized the right wing position in this transfer window started the season without signing a right back and replaced the starting right back. Ironically, the last right winger to be signed by United was the opponents’ captain and finished the contest as the winner of the match.
Wilfried Zaha, Palace captain for the first time, converted the recovered penalty and intimidated Victor Lindelof for the deciding factor with an authority that is destined to always be beyond Daniel James. Gareth Bale’s return to Tottenham was announced at the game and United will yearn for a presence like his on the right until they finally sign an alternative.
The debate will continue over Lindelof’s involuntary handball which Atkinson retrospectively considered a point kick after consulting the court monitor. More relevant is that Lindelof was guilty of all three goals. He somehow survived a demotion last season and has to come soon this season, with Eric Bailly, Axel Tuanzebe and Teden Mengi vying to partner with the subdued Harry Maguire.
Palace had already played four friendlies and two competitive matches and it was obvious from his determined start, soon confirmed by a loose pass from David de Gea that left Dean Henderson visibly impressed. If it weren’t for De Gea United, he would have sneaked back to his locker room 2-0 down and his denial of Jordan Ayew drew applause from Henderson.
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Without a single signing in the starting eleven, United were stagnant and fatigue abounded in a team that ended its previous season 34 days earlier. The dubious selections of Daniel James on the right wing and Timothy Fosu-Mensah on the right back, as well as the absence of Van de Beek in the XI, emboldened Crystal Palace to go on the attack and their goal in the seventh minute was a quick payoff. for its urgency. James was hooked at halftime for Mason Greenwood and Van de Beek showed why he should have started.
James was productive in the friendly at Villa Park from the left last week, but was traded to the right, where he was predictably ineffective. Jesse Lingard, an alternative, was not even on the bench to fill a position that United have marked as their ‘priority’ this window. But Jadon Sancho was leaving for Borussia Dortmund on Saturday night.
Whatever Greenwood’s conditioning, and he couldn’t have been that suspect given his international debut a fortnight ago, he had to start and his presentation sharpened a forceful attack, although the 18-year-old rejected a free header from a Timothy Fosu cross. -Mensah at 0-1. Van de Beek was summoned shortly after the hour by the sloppy Paul Pogba, clearly not fully fit.
There were 12 minutes left on the clock when Solskjaer first descended the dugout stairs and entered the technical area, disgusted by the soporific pace. Solskjaer took it upon himself to reduce it to the rhythm of an exhibition match with dubious selections dictated in part by the late return of several players. Greenwood and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, both on the bench, returned to training earlier in the week, as did Nemanja Matic, absent.
It was especially unfortunate for United that amid their transfer (in) activity, their center back and left back were weak amid the club’s interest in signing a center back and left back. Time will tell if Lindelof’s ambulation and Luke Shaw’s hesitation for Andros Townsend’s opener will prompt United to provide the defense with more competition.
Tottenham also confirmed the arrival of Sergio Reguilon around 20 minutes after Shaw unconsciously allowed Townsend to capitalize and required near-constant encouragement from Solskjaer on the opposite side. Alex Telles, a left-back United are monitoring, will continue to be trending on Twitter for the foreseeable.
Lindelof appeared to attempt to withdraw his arm from Ayew’s effort, but Atkinson, on the advice of Jonathan Moss, usually unreliable, eventually decided otherwise. De Gea saved a penalty for the first time since April 2016 from Ayew, but minutes later found it to be null and void as his boot had gone off the line. Zaha finished more emphatically than Ayew and De Gea was again defenseless for the deciding match in the 85th minute.
De Gea clapped wryly. If the fans were present, not everyone would have applauded United.
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