Manchester United 1-2 Crystal Palace: Five Talking Points | Premier League 2019-20

Manchester United fell to a shock defeat at home against Crystal Palace
Manchester United fell to a shock defeat at home against Crystal Palace

#4 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tactics

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left it late to make amends
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left it late to make amends

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has stuck with a 4-2-3-1 system throughout preseason and the Premier League season, but he fails to figure out a way to bypass teams with a low block, who swarm the box during defensive phases.

No one was expecting Crystal Palace to try and be the braver side and go for the kill. In such a situation, a 4-2-3-1 which necessarily facilitates the take down of teams with a high line on the counter is worthless.

A change in formation, with a more advanced role for Scott McTominay and especially Paul Pogba - who can make things happen in the final third - might have been helpful in this case, and way more logical.

The formation and starting XI is secondary but the bizarre substitutions are out of question. Jesse Lingard was virtually non-existent in the first half and his starting spot and 10 worthless minutes in the second half are peculiar.

Solskjaer also took 84 minutes to bring on Juan Mata, who might as well have been introduced a good 20 minutes earlier. Instead, an experienced Mata was on the bench while Mason Greenwood was the one who replaced Lingard.

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