Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag gives five-word verdict on Wout Weghorst's debut performance against Crystal Palace

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was impressed by the performance put in by forward Wout Weghorst on his debut against Crystal Palace on Wednesday (January 18). The Red Devils could only pick up a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park despite dominating possession.

Erik ten Hag was happy with how well Weghorst did on his Manchester United debut. This was despite the limited amount of preparations he has received since joining on loan from Burnley after cutting his loan spell in Turkey. Speaking after their game against Crystal Palace, Ten Hag was quoted as saying the following:

"I think he did well. Less training, no training (almost), no games. For the first time I think, he did quite well."

Wout Weghorst was named in the starting XI by manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman started alongside Marcus Rashford and Antony in attack. The former Besiktas forward played 69 minutes of the game before being substituted in place of Scott McTominay.

Manchester United, meanwhile, did not carry on with their winning run after falling to a late draw against Crystal Palace. Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes gave the Red Devils the lead right before half-time (43'). In a closely fought game, Palace levelled the tie in injury time through Michael Olise's free-kick.

Despite picking up just one point, United climbed to third in the Premier League standings. They are currently a point clear of fourth-placed Newcastle United. Erik ten Hag's side have amassed 39 points from 19 matches so far this season.

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How did Wout Weghorst perform on his Manchester United debut?

Wout Weghorst had a decent showing on his Manchester United debut. The centre-forward did have some influence on the proceedings despite not making any goal contributions in the game.

According to SofaScore, the Dutch international took just one shot the entire time he was on the pitch and registered expected goals of just 0.11. He had 28 touches of the ball and registered a passing accuracy of 70 percent. The 30-year-old attacker, however, did make one key pass in the game.

Wout Weghorst could be seen as a direct replacement for the now-departed Cristiano Ronaldo. The Dutchman, however, does not have the best record in the Premier League. During his time in the league with Burnley, the forward only managed to score two goals and provide three assists from 20 games during the 2021-22 season.

Manchester United will be hoping for a better return from their new signing if they want to secure a place in next season's UEFA Champions League and mount a title challenge.