Erik ten Hag has promised Manchester United’s performance against Crystal Palace on Saturday will be “different” from their 4-0 drubbing at Selhurst Park in May.
United were soundly beaten by Palace on bank holiday Monday, as the Eagles did the domestic double over United for the first time in the Premier League.
Harry Maguire withdrew from the squad through injury a day before the fixture and Ten Hag had to start Casemiro at centre back next to Jonny Evans. Louis Jackson, Harry Amass, Habbeb Ogunneye and Toby Collyer were unused substitutes, while two goalkeepers were named on the bench.
Evans was unwell heading into the game but started amid United’s paucity of defensive options. Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia were all sidelined.
When asked if he had learned any harsh lessons from the humbling, Ten Hag replied: “Nothing in particular, we know what will come through us, we know it is always tough there, it is always aggressive there but we also know the circumstances, you can’t compare this.
“We didn’t have a fit squad, we had even one or two players who were up to 20 per cent to play and we had to play them. This time is totally different, we have a fit squad and we definitely 1have 8 players to go into this good challenge for us.
“No, definitely not (concerned by it). It was clear it was a 4-0, totally deserved. But Saturday will be different.”
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is the only starter from the corresponding fixture last season who has left United but only four starters are likely to line up this weekend.
Ten Hag noted that less than three weeks after the Palace debacle, United produced their finest performance of the season to win the FA Cup against Manchester City.
“Maybe you can also compare it with the FA Cup final. Don’t compare it,” he stressed. “The circumstances in that moment in the season, from February on, we had to find every time 11 players who can construct a team and now we are in a different place, we have 18 players and we can pick a team.”