After a relatively good run of form for Manchester United in recent weeks, Erik ten Hag’s side dropped points once again as they were held to a 0-0 draw away at Crystal Palace on Saturday night – so it’s arguably time the manager makes some difficult selection calls.
Prior to the international break, fans were left deflated by a 3-0 home loss at the hands of bitter rivals Liverpool. The Red Devils appeared to have turned a new leaf with big wins against Southampton in the league and Barnsley in the EFL Cup.
However, if Saturday’s blunt performance is anything to go by, there is still significant work to do if United are to push back into the top four this season. United dominated possession and registered more shots on target compared to their opposition, but one player’s performance in particular has frustrated supporters.
Bruno Fernandes has struggled for form this season, despite penning a new long-term contract with the club earlier this summer. Saturday night’s performance against Palace summed up the midfielder’s lacklustre displays in recent times, and it’s time Ten Hag looks to freshen things up.
According to Sofascore in the 94 minutes played at Selhurst Park, Fernandes lost possession 34 times, which could have proved costly for the team. To put that into context, Amad Diallogave the ball away 19 times, and he was the second highest in turnovers among the starters.
Fernandes had an opportunity to make amends with the final kick of the game, as United were awarded a late free-kick, but his ball into the box was comfortably dealt with and cleared by the Palace defence. The midfielder had a passing accuracy of just 72% which, again, was the worst of all the starters.
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