Oliver Glasner has hinted at a potential plan for Crystal Palace as they attempt to end Manchester United’s unbeaten run under Michael Carrick. His side make a daunting trip to Old Trafford on Sunday (March 1st) and face the Premier League’s in-form team.
Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim as United’s caretaker coach in early January and has overseen an incredible turnaround. His Red Devils have won five of six games since he returned to the dugout and beat Everton 1-0 last time out.
Palace have won away at the Theatre of Dreams in the past two seasons, including a 2-0 win in February last year. They will be facing a different team on Sunday, one that is on course to seal Champions League qualification.
United weren’t at their best against Everton on Monday night and needed another Benjamin Sesko winner off the bench to get the job done. They dropped points for the first time under Carrick in a 1-1 draw against West Ham United two weeks before.
Man Utd vs Crystal Palace: Glasner aware of tough task
Glasner spoke ahead of his side’s encounter with the Red Devils and pointed out that they didn’t have it easy at Hill Dickinson. He told reporters (via the club’s website):
“We need confidence at Old Trafford. Manchester United are on a good run. I watched their game Monday night at Everton. It was a fantastic transition goal [from Benjamin Sesko], and you can see the pace they have in their attack.”
He added:
“On the other side, I also have seen that Everton caused them some problems, so I’m looking forward to Old Trafford.”
Everton’s main threat came from set-pieces when David Moyes almost set up a rugby scrum during corner kick situations. His Toffees couldn’t find a way past Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and the Scot suggested he was the reason they left the game empty-handed.
United haven’t looked entirely comfortable against low blocks and have struggled to break them down. Glasner will probably be studying the West Ham draw and trying to use this as a blueprint to try and get the better of Sunday’s opponents.
‘We know what to do’
Palace fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to United back in November despite taking the lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half penalty. The visitors fought back and picked up all three points courtesy of strikes from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount in the second half.
That was a closely-fought encounter at Selhurst Park that came during the latter stages of Amorim’s spell in charge. He set his team up with a back three, while Carrick has since reverted to a back four.
Glasner alluded to this when asked if his Eagles learned anything from that game:
“It’s a little bit different, so let’s see. I will watch them back, because it could be, for example, that they just decided to build up into a back three because Everton defend in a 4-4-2. It’s a common tool you can use, when they have two strikers you build up into a back three.”
Palace bounced back from a difficult period to clinch two wins on the bounce. They beat 10-man Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 last weekend.
A 2-0 win over Bosnian minnows Zrinjski Mostar on Thursday sealed their place in the last 16 of the Europa Conference League. There were signs in both games that Glasner’s men are back on track.
He added:
“It could be that they are expecting us up front with three so they go into a back four. That’s what many teams are doing. I think we know what to do. On the other side, we don’t know if they’ll press us man-to-man with their wingers, so we will analyse them in detail.”
Palace have lined up with a front three throughout the season and did so on Thursday night. Jorgen Strand Larsen led the line with Ismaila Sarr and Evann Guessand, who scored, on the wing.
Studying Set Pieces
United are the Premier League’s joint-third-best team from set-piece situations. They have scored 13 of their 48 goals from set pieces this season.
They are equally as impressive when defending set pieces and Glasner highlighted this:
“What I have seen is they are very good in set-plays as well, and I have seen it looked like a very tough battle in how they defended the corners against Everton. Everton had 12 corners, and every time it was interrupted because two or three players were laying on the grass.”
Palace are at a disadvantage given they will have played just three days prior to Sunday’s match. There will be concerns about fatigue, especially given that several players have been dealing with fitness issues as of late.
A win over United would be the biggest result of the Eagles’ season thus far, given the run they have been on. Glasner does seem upbeat about his side’s chances, potentially seeing vulnerabilities in Carrick’s side from the Everton game.
