Erik Ten Hag’s team is crumbling around him and his grip on the Man United job is fading, writes MATT BARLOW after the chaotic 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.

More than half a century has passed, but Manchester United fans of a certain era will remember an infamous five-goal thrashing at the hands of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park that proved to be the last Frank O’Farrell’s match as coach.

They found it impossible to move on from the Sir Matt Busby era and little seemed set to change under O’Farrell, so they sacked him and installed Tommy Docherty. Last night, back at Selhurst, Erik ten Hag saw his exhausted team tearing themselves apart in a similar way as a similar mood inevitably set in during his tenure.

Ten Hag stood on the touchline, no club markings on his clothing, rumors of interest from Bayern Munich in the air as Oliver Glasner’s reinvigorated Palace raced to a 4-0 victory and the local audience taunted him about his dismissal in the morning.

Michael Olise led the destruction with two goals. Jean-Phillippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell were also on target. Casemiro had two goals ruled out, but that could easily have been more embarrassing for United.

They have won just two of their last 10 Premier League games and finish with home matches against Arsenal and Newcastle, as well as an FA Cup final at Wembley.

Olise produced two brilliant strikes to increase the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag

The United players looked shocked after suffering a humiliating defeat in London.

It was another miserable outing for Ten Hag’s men as Palace ran riot at Selhurst Park.

Ten Hag’s team crumbles around him and his grip on the job fades.

Ten Hag were without captain Bruno Fernandes, who is suffering from an ankle problem. It was, according to various statistical wizards, the first time in his entire career that Fernandes had missed a senior match through injury. Although he missed a few through illness, including one for United.

Harry Maguire, who could have led the team in his absence, is also injured. The extent of the casualty list was perhaps best illustrated by the two goalkeepers and four teenagers named among nine substitutes.

Casemiro took the armband and partnered Jonny Evans in the center of defense. If that gave the back four a patched-up look at kick-off, it looked even worse when Olise opened up the experienced pair to score the first goal on 13 minutes.

He collected the ball in midfield, moved away from Christian Eriksen on the turn, got past a careless tackle from Casemiro and advanced towards the United goal. All the other whiteshirts in the area withdrew.

Olise opened the scoring with a cool finish after passing Casemiro in midfield

Jean-Philippe Mateta doubled the lead with a thunderous strike after passing Jonny Evans

Olise took this as an invitation to shoot and fired low past Andre Onana, his eighth of the season in just 17 appearances, and he continued to create problems as he drifted inside from the right and found spaces between United’s full-backs and deep-lying Kobbie Mainoo. in a weak midfield trio with Eriksen and Mason Mount.

The Palace full-backs rushed forward with relish to join Olise and Eberechi Eze. A passing exchange featuring Daniel Munoz on the right ended with Olise’s shot crushing teammate Mateta. Another effort from Olise was fired cleanly, straight at Onana after a pass was cut out by Tyrick Mitchell.

United’s keeper saved but they struggled to escape the pressure from the home side in this opening phase of the match. They found the net from a corner, in the 27th minute, but referee Jarred Gillett ruled it out for a foul by Rasmus Hojlund, who burst into goalkeeper Dean Henderson as he leapt to head Casemiro from the sky.

It was the right decision, even if Gillett seemed strangely reluctant to make it. Maybe he needed time to digest all the information coming from all the sound and visual gadgets about his body, including his body camera. At least the right decision was made.

Tyrick Mitchell scored three points by completing a good move from close range after the break.

Palace scored the second, five minutes before half-time, winning the ball with a halfway pressure before centre-back Chris Richards picked out Mateta, who left Evans standing with a change of pace and direction and fired an upward shot past Onana at his near post. .

For Mateta, it was the 10th goal in a magnificent 14-game purple streak since the beginning of February.

For Ten Hag, a neat summary of the state of his team at halftime. Two pillars of central defense, struggling with the speed and power of Palace’s attacking trio and exposed by a fragile midfield, two of whom were woefully weak in matches and the other still in his rookie season, offering no protection.

The front line seemed unable to hold onto the ball long enough to provide any respite and the full-backs were only of much help to the full-backs behind them. Ten Hag sent Sofyan Amrabat to try to add steel, but nothing much changed.

Onana saved Eze, the first of many in the second half, by preventing Palace from clearing. There was another to deny Mitchell at the near post and another flying to his left to deny Hughes. Eze also slipped a shot wide after a delightful flick from Olise.

Casemiro had a second goal ruled out. This time, just offside as he attacked a free kick delivered by Eriksen. The Brazilian’s head hit the post and he tapped in the rebound but the flag went up.

Events could have turned if this goal had been good, but Glasner’s team scored their third goal in the 58th minute from a short corner and a Wharton cross, only to have their own goal saved by Diogo Dalot under pressure from Joachim Andersen and finished at close range by Mitchell.

Another United burst saw Henderson stop Casemiro but Palace scored again, Olise’s second of the evening, beating Onana after Casemiro lost the through ball to Munoz.

Odsonne Edouard replaces Mateta and hits a post in stoppage time. It was not five o’clock. The smallest of small graces for Ten Hag.