‘We got hammered’ – Newcastle in Europa League driving seat as Manchester United boss makes telling admission

Erik ten Hag confessed his Manchester United side were “hammered” by Crystal Palace after they surrendered their Europa League advantage.

Newcastle United fans were cheering on every goal as the Red Devils were brutally put to the sword at Selhurst Park. Ten Hag’s men were thumped 4-0 by a resurgent Palace and, in truth, the scoreline flattered the visitors.

Reported Newcastle target Michael Olise stole the show with two stunning strikes in each half. Just as the Magpies were a fortnight ago, Man United received a humbling in South London.

That defeat put Newcastle in the driving seat for sixth place – with the Red Devils now eighth behind Chelsea on goal difference. Speaking post-match, Ten Hag blasted the “team performance” as speculation intensified regarding his future.

“It’s a goal that shouldn’t happen because we really give clear instructions on how we should defend this,” he told Sky Sports. “They didn’t bring it on the pitch. We got hammered.

You can’t put this (down to) one player. It’s a team performance. It’s clear, it’s obvious, this is underperforming. We didn’t act how we wanted to and it’s not good enough.