THE CHATTER surrounding Oliver Glasner as Manchester United manager material has quietened in recent months.
It would become as loud as Selhurst Park’s Holmesdale End if Crystal Palace win on Sunday.
Palace are unbeaten in five games against United at home. Under Glasner, they have won two and drawn one.
Glasner, of course, swears by the same 3-4-2-1 formation as Ruben Amorim and it led to Palace’s first major trophy in last season’s FA Cup final.
Their paths crossed in the Champions League when each coach secured victory over the other in the group stage.
“I play against them in Frankfurt with Sporting. So I know the players,” Amorim said.
“I take inspiration from everyone. When I have two weeks for national teams I watch all the managers and try to take all the inspiration I can take.
“I have six years as a professional manager so I’m always trying to learn to improve my team.”
Despite Bayern Munich and Arsenal pilfering Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze in successive summers, Palace are fifth in the Premier League heading into this weekend’s fixtures and have lost two domestic games all season.
United supporters must glance enviously at Palace’s spine. Dean Henderson, mismanaged by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and eventually sold for a meagre £20million, trumps United’s goalkeeper options.
SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN
Marc Guehi would improve any defence bar Arsenal’s, Adam Wharton is of interest to United amid plans for a midfield overhaul in the summer and Jean-Philippe Mateta, scourge of United in Palace’s recent wins, is a more accomplished frontman than the timid Benjamin Sesko.
Palace also possess natural wing backs in the tireless Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell.
Right wing and left wing are two problem positions for Amorim, who often blunts United by picking two out-and-out full backs.
Munoz and Mitchell average 14.4 kilometres and 11km for distance covered per game. Amad, often moved inside to one of the playmaker roles, is the closest of United’s wing backs on 9.7km.
The reluctant Patrick Dorgu clocks 7.6km. Diogo Dalot, one of United’s fittest players, is only 6.5km. Noussair Mazraoui is a pitiful 4.2km.
Munoz is first in the Premier League overall for the metric and Mitchell is fifth.
“I don’t know how you read that data,” Amorim replied.
“Maybe they play more games, more minutes. So you cannot compare the data.
“We make a lot of substitutions. Sometimes we change because we know that is a different position or you want to change the feet with Dalot and Patrick. And we change a lot.
“Sometimes we start with Amad in front. But most of the times if we need to win the game I put Amad on the right. Amad changes position all the time.
“So that can change all the data and you see different things.
“But again, they are doing the things really well. They are playing more in transition than us. The opponents see it in a different way.
“So all these things we have to look at when we compare teams. But of course in every position we can do so much better.”
Glasner’s Palace seemed certain to spell the end for Erik ten Hag when they hammered United 4-0 in May 2024.
Victory this weekend would see Amorim’s odds for the chop shorten again.
The prospect of back-to-back defeats, inflicted by a manager who is still top of bookies’ chalkboards to replace Amorim, would again cast doubt on the Portuguese’s plans to spend Christmas in Manchester.
United have won five, drawn three and lost four in the Premier League so far this season and are on 18 points.
They had 16 points at the same stage last season.
Palace’s disadvantage of kicking off at 8pm in France on Thursday ahead of the noon kick-off on Sunday hardly changes the mood music for United.
Palace are unbeaten at home since February 15, United have won one of their last 11 Premier League away games and are winless at Selhurst since July 2020.
