Amorim must axe 5/10 Man Utd dud after Palace

Manchester United fell to their 11th Premier League defeat of the campaign this afternoon, losing 2-0 to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford earlier this afternoon.

A double from Jean-Phillippe Mateta in the second half secured all three points for the visitors, condemning Ruben Amorim to a second consecutive Premier League defeat on home soil.

The Red Devils currently sit in 13th position, just 12 points clear of the drop zone, with any hopes of European football next season all but over with just 14 games remaining.

It leaves Amorim with some serious work to do, with the role undoubtedly a harder job than he would’ve first envisaged upon taking over at the end of November.

With the transfer window closing tomorrow night, he only has just over 24 hours to make any more changes to the squad, with various players potentially opening themselves up to a move before the deadline.

Man United’s disappointing performers against Palace

Kobbie Mainoo was always going to face a tricky task this afternoon, featuring in an unnatural role as a centre-forward, with Amorim opting for the academy graduate in a false nine role over the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

Unsurprisingly, the 19-year-old struggled for large parts, losing nine of the 12 duels he entered and failing to complete any of his four attempted dribbles during the defeat.

He also could only muster 31 touches before being replaced with 20 minutes to go, with the manager’s chosen system not having the desired impact he would’ve wanted.

Noussair Mazraoui once again featured in a right wing-back role after his disappointing showing against Fulham last weekend, with it becoming clearer week after week that he’s more suited to a role in the back three.

The Moroccan failed to win any tackles during Sunday’s encounter, plus only coming out in 50% of duels – leaving the field at the same time as Mainoo – a signal as to how little impact he had on proceedings.

However, despite the respective displays of the aforementioned duo, another player was just as poor throughout the clash with Oliver Glasner’s side, with Amorim needing to cash in on the dud on deadline day.

Man United player dropped a 5/10 display against Palace

Winger Alejandro Garnacho has been at the heart of an ongoing transfer battle between Chelsea and Napoli for the majority of the transfer window, but still remains a United player with one day remaining.

Both sides have previously held talks, but no official bid has been made for the Argentine, who’s failed to have the impact he would’ve hoped for since the 40-year-old’s appointment.

However, he started the clash with Palace this afternoon, looking to grab his first Red Devils goal in the Premier League since the 10th of November against Leicester City.

It was another afternoon to forget for the 20-year-old academy graduate, featuring for the entirety of the contest, but unable to have any form of positive impact within the final third.

Garnacho managed to register three shots but was unable to direct any on target, whilst also missing one big chance and completing just 25% of dribbles – highlighting his lack of impact within attacking areas.

He also lost possession 15 times, losing 86% of the seven duels he entered and completing just one chance, looking lacklustre and unlikely to create an opportunity out of nothing.

As a result, the youngster was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by journalist Dom Smith, further showcasing how much of a frustrating afternoon it was for the Red Devils at Old Trafford.

After such a showing, Amorim must cash in on the recent interest in his services, with £70m a phenomenal price tag for a player who hasn’t found the back of the net in nearly three months.

Whilst it would leave them a short period to find themselves a replacement, if that sort of money were to be presented to them on deadline day, Amorim would be foolish to turn it down, potentially finding a player more suited to his 3-4-2-1 system.