Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof was preferred to Harry Maguire as the partner for Raphael Varane at the weekend.
There are multiple issues for Erik ten Hag to solve at Manchester United after four defeats from seven Premier League games to start the season.
A 1-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace felt like the lowest point in the season yet, and fans worry there is worse to come.
It was a sucker punch, just as United hoped to have turned the corner after back to back wins the previous week.
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Manchester United fans on Victor Lindelof
Manchester United struggled to break Crystal Palace down, managing only four shots on target during 90 minutes.
Once Palace had scored their first half opener they were content to sit back and it rarely felt like United would score an equaliser.
United’s attackers have taken plenty of flak, but one issue spotted by supporters has been the slow build-up from the back.
Defender Victor Lindelof was criticised for making sideways passes, rather than propelling the team upfield, in a game where United needed to show some urgency.
One supporter on social media asked: “is Lindelof contractually bound to not making any progressive passes?”
“Lindelof is terrible at breaking lines”, another wrote.
A third fan pointed out: “Lindelof was so slow on the ball yesterday, Palace had time to reset for every attack.”
There were more comments along the same lines. Another fan bemoaned: “Lindelof cautious passing is torture to watch.”
Another fan wrote: “Lindelof is just not progressive or strong enough,” as a further frustrated supporter said: “Ball movement is a big issue. Lindelof was awful with it today.”
Harry Maguire had played well in midweek
The statistics show Lindelof completed 95 per cent of his passes, however, accuracy comes with being risk-free.
It was a little of a surprise to see Harry Maguire overlooked after a strong display in midweek. The England international is confident passing the ball forward, and may have been better suited to United’s needs on the day, against a stubborn Palace team.
It could even be asked whether Jonny Evans might have been more useful, after his diagonal pass to Bruno Fernandes made the difference in Manchester United’s win over Burnley a week earlier.
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