Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag arrives ahead of the Premier League match at Selhurst Park, ... [+]
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has insisted he remains the right man to revive the club.
The Dutchman made his case to keep his position in the aftermath of United’s heaviest defeat of the season on Monday, a 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
"Absolutely," he replied when asked by a television reporter after the game if he was the right person for the job.
"If the right players are available, we have a good squad. We miss almost the whole backline and then we have problems.”
"I will keep fighting. I prepared the team in the best way I could do. It was not good enough, I have to take responsibility for that but I will find energy and prepare them for Sunday's game."
Even so, speculation about Ten Hag’s future will now run rampant, and there is a real chance he will be relieved of his duties later this month.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 6: Michael Olise of Crystal Palace scores his team's first goal during the ... [+]
United’s defeat to Palace was their thirteenth in the Premier League this season, their most ever in the 32-year history of the competition, which has left them in a lowly eighth position in the table.
Overall, United have now lost 18 games in all competitions this season, their most since the 1977-78 season when they lost 19 games.
"We are aware, as a team performance, we were not correct, making big mistakes and not following the plan and the script and the rules we have.”
“As Manchester United, we should perform better. The players who were available should do better. It's a deserved defeat. The performance wasn't what we expected. There are always reasons why we are not good enough. Everyone can see our backline, there we have huge problems but, at the end of the day, we have to deal with it. We should have done better than we did.”
United went behind after 12 minutes when Michael Olise was given too much freedom in the centre of the pitch to advance on their penalty area and shoot.
Manchester United's Casemiro reacts following the Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London. ... [+]
“There are five players there and that is a goal that shouldn't happen because we really give clear instructions of how we should defend this,” complained Ten Hag.
“They didn't bring it on the pitch and we got hammered. But, it was what they showed but also, the left side, there was two players doubling up on one player and so, that is very poor defending."
It got no better for a shambolic United side, who conceded three more goals on a deflating night in south London. It did not help they had a makeshift defence containing Jonny Evans, who was clearly not fit, and midfielder Casemiro, who made a glaring mistake for Palace’s fourth goal.
"Huge respect for Jonny that he stepped in [for Harry Maguire], but he wasn't ready to go into the game. He only had two days' training, so that is one example. But he played for 90 minutes and it was a real reward that he did this. But of course he can't play to the levels what he can normally do."
"You can't put this to one player. It's a team performance. The throw-in where you concede the first goal, that shouldn't happen and that is as a team because we don't follow their rules. We don't adapt to the different situations to organise, to keep control in those situations. Five players over the ball and they have a throw-in, it is not possible."
Despite the woeful performance United’s travelling supporters did not turn on Ten Hag and his players, and kept singing until long after the final whistle.
“We are very disappointed, but the fans were always behind us and we keep fighting, like the fans did. I was really grateful to the fans. They back us. They see also we have our problems. You have to stick together. You have to take responsibility. The fans gave us such huge and tremendous support."
