LONDON: Erik ten Hag took responsibility for Manchester United’s miserable showing in a 4-0 thrashing by Crystal Palace on Monday, but said he is still the right man to turn the club’s fortunes around.
Palace completed a first ever league double over United in style as Michael Olize scored twice, while Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell were also on target for the in-form Eagles.
Defeat left Ten Hag’s men eighth and at risk of both their worst ever Premier League finish and missing out on European competition next season.
The Dutchman’s future is in doubt with structural change ongoing at Old Trafford since British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe bought a minority stake and took sporting control of the club earlier this year.
“It’s clear and it’s obvious this is under-performing,” said Ten Hag. “We didn’t act how we want to do it and this is by far not good enough.”
Ten Hag’s options were again limited by a mounting injury list.
Captain Bruno Fernandes missed a club game through injury for the first time in his career, while England international duo Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire were also absent.
The makeshift center-back pairing of Casemiro and Jonny Evans were torn apart by Palace’s pace and invention.
“Absolutely,” added Ten Hag on whether believes he is the right man to lead United forward.
“If we have the right players available we have a good squad but we miss almost the whole back-line and then we have problems.
“I will keep fighting and I prepared the team in the best way I could do. It was not good enough, by far not good enough, so I have to take the responsibility for that but I will find the energy and I will prepare them for Sunday.”
Worse could be to come for Ten Hag when title-chasing Arsenal visit Old Trafford at the weekend.
United have never failed to finish in the top seven in the Premier League era and must do so or beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final to qualify for Europe.
But the embarassing scoreline at Selhurst Park is not unprecedented during Ten Hag’s reign.
United lost 4-0 at Brentford, 7-0 to Liverpool and 6-3 away to Manchester City during his first season in charge.
This season they have conceded 81 goals in all competitions, the club’s worst tally since 1976-77.
After a disappointing early exits from both the Champions League and League Cup, a FA Cup run has offered Ten Hag some relief.
But they booked their place in a second consecutive final only by surviving a penalty shootout against second-tier Coventry after blowing a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3.
“That was tough to watch,” said former United midfielder Paul Scholes of the Red Devils’ display at Palace. “That could have been 7-0.”
Ratcliffe’s INEOS group have already begun making appointments they hope will turn around a decade of decline at the 20-time English champions.
Jason Wilcox has been named the club’s new technical director, while Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth has been targeted as sporting director and former Manchester City executive Omar Berrada will take over as CEO.
Man Utd rut ‘not good enough’ but Ten Hag vows to fight on
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Man Utd rut ‘not good enough’ but Ten Hag vows to fight on
Djokovic races into French Open fourth round
- The sixth seed will face 81st-ranked Cameron Norrie for a spot in the quarter-finals
PARIS: Novak Djokovic was in a hurry on Saturday as the 24-time Grand Slam winner dismissed world number 153 Filip Misolic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to book his place spot in the last 16 at Roland Garros.
The three-time French Open champion needed just over two hours to beat his Austrian opponent in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Djokovic had previously joked that he was not keen on potentially playing the late match on center court on Saturday as it would overlap with the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.
“It’s going to be PSG that I will support. I will definitely watch it if I’m not playing night session,” said AC Milan fan Djokovic.
“Yeah, that will be nice. FYI, Roland Garros schedule...”
With the umpire obliged to request excited local spectators concentrate on the match happening in front of them, the Serb was likely in little doubt as to the situation of the football match taking place in Munich.
But Djokovic put his quest for a record-breaking 25th major title firmly to the forefront of his mind as he overwhelmed Misolic with a typically clinical performance.
“I think I was solid in the important moments across the three sets,” said Djokovic who praised his opponent with whom he regularly practices.
“I would like you to give him a big round of applause,” he requested of the crowd in Paris.
The 38-year-old faced only one break point, which he saved, while hitting just 14 unforced errors to 33 winners.
The sixth seed will face 81st-ranked Cameron Norrie for a spot in the quarter-finals, after the former top 10 Brit earlier beat his compatriot Jacob Fearnley in straight sets.
Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League in style
- Qatari-owned club thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the most one-sided final in the competition’s history
MUNICH, Germany: Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time by thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 on Saturday in the most one-sided final in the competition’s history.
Teenager Desire Doue scored twice for PSG and set up the opening goal for Achraf Hakimi in Munich’s Allianz Arena before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made it four and then 19-year-old substitute Senny Mayulu completed the scoring.
PSG took the lead after 12 minutes when Hakimi sidefooted home a pass from Doue.
The Parisians went 2-0 ahead eight minutes later when their defender Willian Pacho improbably kept the ball from going out at the PSG end and the resulting fast-flowing move led to Doue firing in a deflected shot that evaded Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
PSG made it 3-0 with a goal created by Vitinha’s surging run. He exchanged passes with Ousmane Dembele, before delivering a pass into the path of 19-year-old Doue who drilled the ball into the net.
The match was put beyond doubt by Georgian international Kvaratskhelia’s brilliant low finish before Mayulu rounded off a slick passing move.
Qatari-owned PSG are just the second French club since Marseille in 1993 to win European football’s top trophy.
PSG fans display banner calling for end to ‘genocide’ in Gaza during Champions League final
- PSG fans are known for their stance against the war in Gaza
- The latest banner was likely to lead to disquiet among local authorities in Munich
MUNICH: Paris Saint-Germain supporters displayed a banner saying “Stop genocide in Gaza” during the Champions League final on Saturday.
They raised it shortly after Achraf Hakimi gave their team a 1-0 lead against his former side Inter Milan in the 12th minute. Désiré Doué scored PSG’s second after the banner was raised for a 2-0 halftime lead.
PSG fans are known for their stance against the war in Gaza. They previously displayed a giant banner saying “Free Palestine” in November during the Champions League match against Atlético Madrid.
The latest banner was likely to lead to disquiet among local authorities in Munich. Munich’s city hall displays an Israeli flag as well as a Ukrainian one, and German support for Israel is strong for historical reasons.
PSG could also face a fine. UEFA bans the use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit a provocative message that is judged not fit for a sports event, particularly provocative messages that are of a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.
Financial penalties are typical for a first offense — 10,000 euros ($10,700) for a political banner or disturbances.
Israel’s nearly three-month blockade on Gaza has pushed the population of over two million to the brink of famine. It has allowed some aid to enter in recent days, but aid organizations say far from enough is getting in.
The UN World Food Program said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high.
21 athletes killed in Nigeria road crash
- The Federal Road Safety Corps said the afternoon crash “might have occurred as a result of fatigue and excessive speed“
- The athletes were returning from the 22nd National Sports Festival
ABUJA: A bus crash on a Nigerian highway on Saturday killed 21 athletes returning from a national sports tournament, with authorities saying the accident might have been the result of driver fatigue or excessive speed.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said the afternoon crash, which did not involve other vehicles, “might have occurred as a result of fatigue and excessive speed” after a long overnight trip.
The athletes were returning to Kano, in Nigeria’s north, from the 22nd National Sports Festival, held around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to the south in Ogun state.
President Bola Tinubu had recently said the games, which included sports ranging from wheelchair basketball to traditional west African wrestling, represented “the unity, strength and resilience that define us as a nation.”
Road accidents are common on Nigeria’s poorly maintained roads due largely to speeding and a disregard for traffic rules.
Last year Nigeria recorded 9,570 road accidents that resulted in 5,421 deaths, according to FRSC data.
Portuguese goalkeeper Patricio joins Al-Ain for Club World Cup
- “Patricio will arrive to the UAE tomorrow evening to undergo medical tests,” Al-Ain said
- Patricio played 108 matches for Portugal
ABU DHABI: Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio will join Al-Ain on a short-term contract for the Club World Cup, the team from the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday.
“Al-Ain has signed Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio to participate with the team in the 2025 Club World Cup,” the club said on X about the 37-year-old Portugal international who is joining them from Atalanta.
“Patricio will arrive to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow evening to undergo medical tests and join the first-team training,” Al-Ain added.
Patricio played 108 matches for Portugal, helping them win Euro 2016, and has had spells with Sporting Lisbon, Wolverhampton Wanderers and AS Roma.
Al-Ain, who won the AFC Champions League title in 2024, reached the final of the 2018 Club World Cup final in front of their home fans.
This year’s revamped 32-team tournament will take place in the United States in June and July.
Al Ain have been drawn in Group G with Juventus, Manchester City and Morocco’s Wydade.
FIFA opened an exceptional transfer window from June 1-10 to allow players to be signed for the tournament.
