Erik ten Hag cannot ignore his disaster record after Man United’s humiliation at Crystal Palace, where his team was in tatters, writes CHRIS WHEELER… Casemiro and Eriksen should be first out

As Manchester United headed towards the Selhurst Park tunnel, humiliated and humiliated, the home fans awaited them. “You’re a fucking piece of shit,” they chanted as the United players disappeared one by one. Visible among the hateful crowd, a young girl held up a sign asking for a shirt.

It’s United. It’s always a big draw wherever they go and, yes, it’s hard to argue with right now, it’s also pretty shit.

And that’s what makes nights like these so uncomfortable. A great club and proud name being brought down by a team like Crystal Palace, who have played superbly but are entrenched in the bottom half of the Premier League.

“The players had a lot of fun playing football,” said their coach Oliver Glasner, rubbing salt on the wounds.

Palace became the latest opponent to pepper United with shots this season and hit the target on several occasions. Like a heavyweight champion who can no longer defend himself, stumbling around the ring, trying to regain his scrambled senses, they have a sad sight these days.

Man United’s proud name was etched into the earth by Crystal Palace on a night of humiliation

The Red Devils looked like a boxer stumbling around the ring, trying to regain his senses

It’s hard to see where Erik ten Hag goes after adding to his disaster record

In the past, great players like Casemiro and Christian Eriksen were managed by younger, fitter men. They should be first out this summer and keep the door open for some of their teammates who, frankly, aren’t fit to wear the jersey.

Then there are players like Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, youngsters who represent the future of this club but who are being undermined by playing in a poor quality team. They look for leadership and find none.

Not a single player emerged from a 4-0, United’s biggest defeat of the season, with any merit. They let their club and their manager down, not to mention the thousands of United fans who stayed until the end to applaud the team for their efforts.

And what about Erik ten Hag himself? Watching the destruction unfold before his eyes, always talking about plans and processes when all we see is chaos and carnage.

Casemiro (left) and Christian Eriksen (right) were ragged at Selhurst Park and should be the first to go

Where does he go from here? Ineos continues to say that no decision has been made on the future of Ten Hag. He could still get the chance to prove himself in the new structure they are building at United.

But just when you think he can still be that man, something like this happens. Or Istanbul. Or Copenhagen. Or Chelsea. Or wolves. Or in London, at Wembley, where Coventry almost subjected the Dutchman to even worse humiliation than a few weeks ago. He has put together quite a disaster file this season.

Yes, Ten Hag can cite a list of crippling injuries or the off-field distractions involving Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and, of course, the strategic review that placed his fate in the hands of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos. .

It’s been difficult, but let’s not pretend that other clubs don’t have to deal with their own problems. Even allowing for mitigating factors, there was no excuse for United’s humiliating debacle at Selhurst Park on Monday night.

Ten Hag is a great manager but has no excuses for the debacle in south London

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group prepare to decide the fate of Ten Hag this summer

Ten Hag is a good manager who had an excellent record at Ajax and surpassed his performance in his first season at United. If the information is correct, Bayern Munich considers him as a possible replacement for Thomas Tuchel.

Ten Hag is also a good man. You can see why Ineos might want to give it another chance; to significantly improve the team this summer and give them the tools to try to do the job properly.

But nights like these, nights where teams like Crystal Palace have fun against you and the home fans delight in telling you to your face that you’re shit, must make his new employers wonder if they can take this risk.