Manchester United

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  1. 🎧 Still confident of top four?published at 18:24 23 September

    The Devils' Advocate podcast graphic

    The latest episode of BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate podcast has landed on BBC Sounds.

    Gaz Drinkwater and Joe McGrath look back at the goalless draw with Crystal Palace and discuss why they are still confident Erik ten Hag's side will make the Premier League's top four.

    Plus, they look ahead to United opening their Europa League campaign against FC Twente and a home match against Tottenham at the weekend.

    Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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  2. Crystal Palace 0-0 Man Utd - the fans' verdictpublished at 12:34 23 September

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    Daniel Munoz of Crystal Palace is challenged by Diogo Dalot of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Manchester United FC at Selhurst ParkImage source, Getty Images

    We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Crystal Palace and Manchester United.

    Here are some of your comments:

    Crystal Palace fans

    Len: We were lucky to get a point out of this one; however, Eze had two golden opportunities that he would normally have slotted home. Our injury list continues to present problems in selecting our best XI…but, we are not the side who finished last season so well.

    Keith: Out-thought tactically in the first half and out-fouled too, with United scything down Eze repeatedly. Much better in second half, which was very even. Good performance from Henderson and the defence, but Eze continues to utterly waste golden opportunities.

    Glen: Today I saw a better performance. They definitely looked fitter however the formation was not working which was very obvious from the stands. Unfortunately it took until the 70th minute to change things up. Overall we had the best of the second half and should have scored. Please start Sarr and loaning out Rak-Sakyi looks a bad idea now.

    Steve: What has happened to Palace? The first half was a throwback to the Hodgson days. Passive. Negative. Unable to put two passes together. Glasner’s half-time talk brought some improvement, but Palace looked like a team already battling against relegation. I hope I’m wrong, but Glasner needs to turn it around before the rot sets in.

    Man Utd fans

    Tim: Some really good stuff from United in the first half, with Eriksen the pick of the players. I don't think anything was gained from bringing on Rashford when Eriksen and Zirkzee were causing Palace so may problems. Fernandes, who was average by his standards, could have come off for Rashford with Zirkzee sitting deeper.

    Nigel: It concerns me that United can be so dominant but yet not deliver. For me the build up is still too slow and not positive enough. Not taking their chances that were created must be a concern for Ten Hag. The team is crying out for a regular goal scorer and Zirkzee is not that player for me. Work still to do on ‘the project'.

    Jason: Another big disappointment and it could have been worse had Palace took their better chances. It was the same old lack of cutting edge, it's hard to see this team putting a run of wins together and really making a statement. The lack of urgency to go get a winning goal in the latter stages of games like this is frustrating.

    Chris: Should have been home and dry after 45 minutes. In football, especially at this level, you have to take advantage when on top. United lacked a ruthlessness in front of goal and inevitably Palace then had their moments. There is much promise from Manchester United with a much improved back four and Onana has now hit top form. Two points lost.

  3. 'We ate them alive'published at 20:19 21 September

    Erik Ten Hag Image source, Getty Images

    Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been speaking to Sky Sports following their draw with Crystal Palace: "When we don’t win, I’m not content. We should have won. I think first half, we ate them alive. Then in the second half, it was more in the balance but first half, we should have scored one or two goals."

    Did your finishing let you down?: "I don’t think [so], we played very good. Total control of the game. In and out of possession, I think we played very good. The only thing was in the box, that is where the game is always decided. We should be more clinical there."

    On dropping points: "In Brighton, we should have drawn or even win the game there, so we lost three points. Today, we also probably lose two points because of the first half, but the thing is that we don’t lose this game in the end.

    On keeping a clean sheet: "We have worked very hard as a team to be defensive, compact. We’ve worked on pressing and you see the benefits from it but also, on the ball, we are very constructive and we have control and that also, we take the breath of the opponent away.

  4. 'We were way better than them'published at 19:56 21 September

    Andre OnanaImage source, Getty Images

    Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana talking to Sky Sports about his double save from Nketiah and Sarr: "I don’t think it is so important because we didn’t win. We are such a big club. When we move somewhere, we have the ambition to try to win. We didn’t win but I’m happy for the work, the sacrifice of my team-mates because I think we were better than them. We had so many chances but unfortunately, we didn’t score. It’s difficult to come back with one point when we deserved to win."

    On thinking United would score: "To be honest, yes. I thought so. Football sometimes, you can’t control everything. We were coming in, we had more chances and I had faith always in my guys. Today, we hit the crossbar twice and hopefully in the coming games, we will score a lot."

    On Crystal Palace's chances: "I think we were better than them, I think we were way better than them. We had more chances than them. We had the best chances during the game. Of course, they are a very good team, but we were way better than them."

  5. Crystal Palace 0-0 Man Utd: Finishing lets Reds down againpublished at 19:51 21 September

    Callum Matthews
    BBC Sport journalist

    Matthijs de Ligt of Manchester United shoots during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Manchester United FC at Selhurst ParkImage source, Getty Images

    This felt like a very similar story for Manchester United.

    They were dominant in the opening half an hour but lacked a real cutting edge in front of goal.

    United have the second-highest xG (expected goals) in the league, at 9.53 from their opening five games, but have only managed to score five times.

    Only Southampton, who sit 18th, are underperforming their xG by more.

    Lisandro Martinez will feel he should have scored after a corner fell to him in the box, while Alejandro Garnacho and particularly Bruno Fernandes will rue hitting the bar.

    Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund made his first appearance of the season off the bench and his availability will be a boost to Erik ten Hag, with summer signing Joshua Zirkzee well-marshalled by the Palace defence throughout.

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  6. Crystal Palace 0-0 Man Utd: Did you know?published at 19:37 21 September

    Erik Ten Hag and Oliver Glasner Image source, Getty Images

    Of teams they’ve faced more than ten times in the Premier League, Manchester United have drawn 0-0 in a higher percentage of their games versus Crystal Palace than against any other opponent in the competition (16% - 5/31).

  7. Sutton's predictions: Crystal Palace v Man Utdpublished at 11:24 21 September

    Sutton's predictions graphic

    Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

    For week five, he takes on singer-songwriter and West Ham fan James Smith whose debut album, Common People, is out now.

    Crystal Palace host Manchester United on Saturday at 17:30 BST.

    Sutton's prediction: 1-2

    Crystal Palace pumped Manchester United 4-0 in May, but since then they have sold Michael Olise, who scored twice in that game and makes goals as well as scores them.

    Eagles boss Oliver Glasner made a huge impact when he came in last season but, so far, this campaign has not been plain sailing for him.

    Glasner wants to play an attacking brand of football but I feel like that will suit Manchester United, and that Erik ten Hag's side can hurt Palace the same way they hurt Southampton last week.

    It was a big moment in the game when Andre Onana saved Cameron Archer's penalty but, after that, United were pretty good, with Marcus Rashford looking lively.

    My first instinct was that this would end in a draw but I am actually going to go with United to win it. I am still not sure about Ten Hag but I just have a sense they might be heading in the right direction, and Palace have not got going yet.

    James's prediction: 0-1

    I can see this being quite a boring game and Manchester United will win, even though they haven’t been playing very well. 0-1

    Read their full predictions and have your own say here

  8. Malacia and Lindelof step up recoverypublished at 18:08 20 September

    Tyrell MalaciaImage source, Getty Images

    Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia was picture on the training pitch on Friday, as the left-back nears a return from an injury which has ruled him out since May 2023.

    United say the Dutch defender took part in the warm-ups on Friday and will continue to "tread lightly" as he looks to return to Erik ten Hag's first-team squad for matches.

    The 25-year-old was named in the Reds' 25-man Europa League squad for the league phase.

    Fellow defender Victor Lindelof took part in full training and therefore could be available for the Reds at Crystal Palace on Saturday (kick-off 17:30 BST).

    Lindelof has not played for United since pre-season.

  9. Mini Old Trafford unlikely in Man Utd stadium planspublished at 14:14 20 September

    Simon Stone
    Chief football news reporter

    A view of the outside of Manchester United's Old Trafford stadiumImage source, Getty Images

    Manchester United confirmed earlier this week they will be launching a fans' survey to get feedback from what they want around a stadium.

    This is part of the huge information-gathering exercise taking place, looking at the regeneration of the Wharfside area around Old Trafford that could involve a new stadium.

    No recommendation will be put forward until the end of the year. However, it is looking increasingly unlikely a 'mini OT' will be part of the plans.

    There had been an idea that if a new stadium was built, the current one could be scaled down and used by the women's and main youth teams, similar to how Manchester City are set up.

    But sources close to the situation say this is impractical. City were able to build their smaller stadium from scratch but reducing the size of an existing one would run into hundreds of millions of pounds. This, it is felt, would make the cost prohibitive.

    As it stands, the women's team play their home games in Leigh.

  10. Ten Hag made himself 'hostage to fortune'published at 08:32 20 September

    Simon Stone
    Chief football news reporter

    Erik ten Hag gives instructions from the touchlineImage source, Getty Images

    Erik ten Hag has made himself a hostage to fortune with some brave talk ahead of Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace.

    The United boss is probably on safe ground with a literal interpretation of his "Saturday will be different" statement. Another 4-0 defeat is almost unthinkable.

    But it was not just the scale of the defeat that grated earlier this year - it was the manner of it.

    Until the past week, United have not looked completely at ease with themselves this season, or as though their summer arrivals have significantly strengthened them.

    For a change, the noise around Ten Hag has abated.

    If Saturday produces anything like a repeat of the last Palace debacle, it will rise again, and the fact he has promised it will not happen would make it even worse.

  11. 'Players need to be listened to'published at 08:05 20 September

    Fara Williams, BBC Sport columnist banner
    Player receives treatment for injuryImage source, Getty Images

    The issue around the footballing calendar and the demands being placed on players right now is a difficult one.

    First, we need to take into consideration the really high demands on the body that go on all-year round with few breaks, especially for international footballers and those in teams competing on multiple fronts.

    I know the men's and the women's games are different, but we got exposed to these issues when we went from amateur to professional. There was a lot of loading, a lot of games and the result of that was a higher risk of injury and we have seen a lot of anterior cruciate ligament injuries now in the women's game.

    From the fans' side, their point is often that players get paid a lot of money but I think that is irrelevant. That is just the industry players are in and, if you take out the money, they are still human beings.

    The governing bodies need to look at who they consult with about changes in the calendar such as World Cups being held in winter and summers where there is just a couple of weeks off before going straight back into it. The changes and fixtures that are put in are there to generate more money, which makes it difficult. As a business, it is about money.

    We talk about mental health a lot and you wonder, where is the time to switch off and have that time away from playing? To have that family time which is a deep human need? At some point mentally, if not physically, it will take its toll.

    None of us want to see players striking, but players need to be listened to. What do they need to do to make change happen?

    Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

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