Goldbridge: “We Keep Talking About the Same Issues No Matter Who the Manager Is” | OneFootball

Manchester United’s Collapse Against Crystal Palace: A Tactical and Mental Disaster

Manchester United’s 0-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace was more than just a bad day at the office. It was a brutal indictment of a squad lacking the fundamental football intelligence required to compete at the highest level. Mark Goldbridge, reacting on The United Stand, pulled no punches in his assessment of yet another humiliating night at Old Trafford.

Crystal Palace Expose Manchester United’s Weaknesses Again

Goldbridge’s post-match reaction was one of pure frustration, echoing a now-familiar theme: United’s consistent failures against teams they should be beating. “Absolutely embarrassing,” he fumed. “11 losses in the Premier League—we lost 14 under Ten Hag last year. This is absolutely [ __ ].”

He emphasised that this wasn’t a one-off: “Just the same as Brighton, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and every other mid-table team that’s come to Old Trafford this season and wiped their ass with us.” The defeat against Palace wasn’t an anomaly but rather part of a disturbing trend of United capitulating against so-called lesser opposition.

Goldbridge also dismissed any attempt to blame manager Rúben Amorim entirely, arguing that the fundamental issue lies with the players. “What system is going to work with these players? They can’t play a five-yard pass, they can’t mark up on set pieces,” he said. “They had half the amount of crosses into the box that we did and they score from one of them. We had 10 corners and did nothing with them.”

A Team Lacking Football IQ and Grit

United’s issues, according to Goldbridge, are not tactical but technical and mental. “We can get a result against Arsenal, Liverpool, or Man City because we play like the underdog. But when we play against teams we should be beating, we don’t have the tools to do it,” he lamented.

This was evident in Palace’s goals, both of which were defensive calamities. “Harry Maguire on that second goal—playing offside and then trying to get back like a corpse running through concrete,” Goldbridge remarked with exasperation. “I don’t get it. Why are you playing offside when you’re that slow?”

The midfield didn’t escape criticism either, with Bruno Fernandes coming under scrutiny for his chaotic positional discipline. “Bruno makes Agarte’s job impossible. When you’re playing in a pivot, you need somebody next to you. But he’s never where he should be—right wing, left wing, number ten, number eight, number six, centre-back,” Goldbridge ranted. “He doesn’t trust anybody, so he tries to do everybody’s job. It works when you win, but when you don’t, it’s chaos.”

Lack of Goals, Lack of Leadership

If United’s defensive frailties were worrying, their lack of goal threat was even more damning. “We had no shots on target at half-time at Old Trafford. Again. No shots on target,” Goldbridge repeated incredulously. “I can’t remember a really good chance.”

The absence of Rasmus Højlund and Xavi Simons was mentioned, but Goldbridge refused to accept it as an excuse. “We tried something else and it still didn’t work. We don’t create big chances,” he stated.

With Licha Martínez stretchered off in tears, concerns over his long-term fitness also added to the bleak outlook. “It’s heartbreaking. We were building our defence around him, and now we have to ask, can we rely on him at all?”

Where Do United Go From Here?

Goldbridge didn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truth: the majority of this squad isn’t good enough. “These players aren’t good enough to get better. The collection of this squad in its entirety is not good enough,” he declared.

There is no quick fix. The suggestion that Amorim should change his system was dismissed outright: “We employed Rúben Amorim because he plays 3-4-3. You don’t hire him and then change the system—it defeats the whole point.”

With United potentially set to break their lowest-ever Premier League points tally, the road ahead looks grim. “We might not even get 50 points. We might be in the 40s. We could be in the 30s. It’s going to be a very, very hard season.”

The glazers and INEOS were also put on notice: “They have a lot to answer for. The way they’re running the football club right now is very, very concerning.”

Final Thoughts

Manchester United’s 0-2 defeat to Crystal Palace was yet another example of a team in disarray, tactically outwitted, physically bullied, and mentally fragile. Goldbridge summed it up perfectly: “We can’t pass simple passes, we can’t create chances, we can’t win set pieces. These are basic, training-ground things. If you can’t do those, it doesn’t matter who the manager is or what the system is. We are not good enough.”

Until major personnel changes are made, this United side looks set for more “storms ahead.” And, as Goldbridge ominously warned, “It doesn’t get better anytime soon.”