TACTICAL SHIFT: RUBEN AMORIM'S BOLD CHANGES FUEL UNITED'S SELHURST PARK TURNAROUND
After a dreadful first half at Selhurst Park, Ruben Amorim's half-time team talk and bold substitutions spurred Man Utd to a vital 2-1 comeback win over Crystal Palace, stopping the 'rot' in November.
Ruben Amorim rushed to the Selhurst Park dressing room at halftime, with Manchester United down 1-0 after a poor first half. Whatever he said at halftime seemed to spark a change.
After a shaky November threatened to undo October's progress, United fought back to defeat a tired Crystal Palace. In what is always a long season, this victory was crucial to stop the slump, especially after a worrisome first-half showing in Croydon.
Before this game, United had won only once in their last 11 Premier League away matches—that was against Liverpool at Anfield last month. Amorim mentioned in the pre-match press talk that he wasn't sure why his team struggled away from home, but he emphasized that his players needed to close out games better.
Amorim left Patrick Dorgu out of the starting eleven, admitting he saw anxiety from the defender when he had the ball. Diogo Dalot took his place, but even Dalot hasn't been convincing at left wing-back this season.
Shea Lacey, 18, was the only attacking player on the bench. Kobbie Mainoo has played as a No. 10 at times, but Amorim has said he sees him mainly as a defensive midfielder. Before the game, only Arsenal (with six) had allowed fewer goals than Palace (nine) in the Premier League this season, and United had been toothless in attack against Everton earlier in the week.
Still, United had no excuse for not attacking on Sunday. Palace played against Strasbourg in France on Thursday, giving them just two days to prepare, unlike United's five days at Carrington. So, United came to Selhurst Park with a slight advantage.
Bryan Mbeumo patted Amad on the back as they headed back to the locker room before kickoff. Amad assisted Mbeumo against both Liverpool and Tottenham, making their link-up seem like a key factor again in this game. Though the pair were not at their best, United still clinched a win.
Dalot made a bigger impact in the first 30 seconds than Dorgu had in 58 minutes against Everton, launching a long throw into the box, but Casemiro failed to score from it.
The away fans sang '12 Days of Cantona' for two clear reasons: December was approaching fast, and the stadium was the site of Cantona’s infamous kung fu kick.
Amorim looked annoyed as Palace started creating chances. He paced the sideline, and the fourth official reminded him to stay in his coaching box. Soon after, Mbeumo got a yellow card for throwing the ball down in frustration.
Adam Wharton fired a shot right at Senne Lammens from just outside the box. Then Jean-Philippe Mateta missed an easy chance after Yoro’s mistake, and Yoro later blocked Yeremy Pino's shot. Yoro managed to recover after his earlier error that led to Mateta's opportunity.
Mateta kept causing trouble. He physically dominated Matthijs de Ligt and forced another mistake from Yoro, who fouled him unnecessarily in the box, giving away a clear penalty.
Mateta scored the penalty, but it was called back for a double touch. The rule that allows a retake after a failed penalty needs to be reconsidered. Anyway, Mateta made the second penalty.
"Boom, boom, Mateta's in the room" was chanted to the tune of the Vengaboys song twice in a row. This should have pushed United to respond strongly, but instead, they walked slowly off the field at halftime. Amad and Mbeumo weren't playing well, and United often struggle when those two don't perform.
Luke Shaw shook his head as the halftime whistle blew. Shaw, who has been at United for 11 years and was playing his 300th game for the club, played under five permanent managers during his time at Old Trafford. He might have been close to playing for another if United hadn't managed to turn things around. At least there won't be any big investigation on Monday morning.
Amorim made two halftime subs, and they paid off. Dalot played great, and Mason Mount scored a fantastic goal to put United up 2-1. It was a bold choice for Amorim to keep playing Joshua Zirkzee, but he proved right when the Dutchman scored a nice half-volley to bring the score level.
Zirkzee's shot had to be powerful to get past Dean Henderson—and it was. Since arriving from Bologna, Zirkzee hasn't always looked like a top striker, but if he can score more goals like that for United, he'll do just fine.
The Everton game was awful, and Amorim absolutely had to find a solution; in this game, he did.
CONTRACTUAL LIFELINE: UNEARTHING THE STRATEGY BEHIND ANDRE ONANA’S RETURN FROM TURKISH LOAN SPELL
Onana vs Lammens: Get the latest on the £44M keeper’s return from Turkey and why Michael Carrick values "reliability over chaos."
Andre Onana isn’t giving up on his Manchester United career, even with his replacement grabbing the spotlight while he’s away on loan. Right now, Onana’s spending the 2025/26 season with Trabzonspor in Turkey, while Senne Lammens has stepped up as United’s new first-choice keeper.
United signed Lammens from Royal Antwerp for £18 million on deadline day last September, and soon after, Onana was shipped out on loan. There’s no option for Trabzonspor to buy him, so Onana will be back at United this summer. He’s already played 72 games for the club.
Onana has turned out 20 times for Trabzonspor, but honestly, United probably aren’t paying much attention. Lammens has looked rock-solid in goal, holding down the spot for 21 straight matches, no matter if Amorim, Darren Fletcher, or Michael Carrick was in charge.
So far, Lammens has five clean sheets and is anchoring a defence that’s clearly improving under Carrick. Altay Bayindir is backing him up, and Tom Heaton is still kicking around in the goalkeeping group.
When United first bought Onana for £44 million from Inter Milan, he was reuniting with Erik ten Hag, his old Ajax boss. He’s still got two years left on his contract. According to Geremi Onana’s friend and a former Cameroon and Chelsea player, Onana hasn’t lost hope of turning things around.
“Listen, I know Andre very well, and there were a lot of issues at United during his time there,” Geremi told Telecom Asia. “It wasn’t all on him. But with Michael Carrick coming in, things are looking up for everyone, including Andre.
“He’s got real talent, and players like him don’t come around often. The next step is for him to go back and fight for his spot. Andre always rises to a challenge. Give him a fair shot, and he’ll show you what he can do.”
We’ll find out what’s next for Onana this summer. United are planning big changes, including a new permanent manager. Carrick is one of the names in the running.
If Carrick gets the job, Onana’s chances might take a hit, since the interim boss is thrilled with Lammens. After Lammens’ man-of-the-match showing in the 1-0 win over Everton, Carrick said, “For me, a keeper needs to be reliable, someone who calms things down, not adds to the chaos. Senne does exactly that.
“He’s quiet and maybe a bit unassuming, but he’s got real steel in him. Stepping in as United’s keeper is a big ask, and not everyone handles it. Sometimes it takes a while to settle, sometimes not. The way he’s handled it so far, he’s calm and composed, and that’s made a huge difference for the defence.”
OFF-PITCH EVOLUTION: INSIDE SIR JIM RATCLIFFE’S TRANSFORMATION OF MANCHESTER UNITED’S OPERATING PROFIT
United's PSR escape! Get the details on the £169M accounting loophole and the club's push for a Champions League spot today.
Manchester United’s summer plans are finally taking shape, especially now that we know last summer’s hefty transfer spending will be spread out over the next six years. United splashed out £236 million on new faces during Ruben Amorim’s first transfer window as manager, snapping up Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Diego Leon, and goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
But here’s the catch: the 2024/25 accounting period only counts deals done before June 30, 2025. Mbeumo, Leon, Sesko, and Lammens all arrived after that date in July, August, and September. Those four cost United a combined £169 million.
In a statement, the club made it official: “After June 30, 2025, we acquired or extended the registrations of certain players and football staff for a total of £169,524,000, including associated costs. Payments are due over the next six years. Also, after June 30, 2025, we became liable for sell-on fees and extra payments totalling £2,119,000 for previous signings.”
By spreading that £169 million over six years, United gets more wiggle room under profitability and sustainability rules. That’s a big deal because it lets the club keep investing this summer, right when they have to decide whether to stick with Michael Carrick as manager or bring someone else in.
This week, United announced its second-quarter financial results, showing an operating profit of £32.6 million for the first half of fiscal 2026. That’s a huge swing from last year, when they posted a £3.9 million operating loss for the same period.
The club credits this turnaround to the early impact of off-field changes after Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought in. Ratcliffe wasted no time tightening things up behind the scenes, aiming to make the club more efficient.
Top executives say United has finally got a handle on its structural costs, which helps boost profits and sets the club up for a stronger run, especially if they clinch a Champions League spot.
CEO Omar Berrada put it this way: “We’re now seeing our off-pitch transformation pay off, both in costs and profitability. We’re still focused on football first, and we’re investing in both our men’s and women’s teams.
“On the pitch, our men are fourth in the Premier League, and our women’s team is second in the Women’s Super League. They’ve also reached the League Cup final and the quarter-final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
“Today’s results really show the strength of our business as we keep pushing for the best possible results for both teams.”
United hasn’t lost a Premier League game under Carrick, notching up five wins and a draw. That run has lifted them to fourth, just three points behind Aston Villa. Villa plays Wolves tonight, with Wolves stuck at the bottom of the table.
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