Manchester United slammed after 'car crash' defending during Crystal Palace embarrassment

Sky Sports commentator Alan Smith has slammed Manchester United's defending after Jean Phillipe-Mateta put Crystal Palace 2-0 up in the Premier League clash at Selhurst Park on Monday.

The Palace striker had plenty of room as he raced towards a disorganised United defence. Jonny Evans was left alone to mark Mateta before being dribbled past with ease as the Frenchman doubled Palace's lead with a fine strike.

"It definitely sums up United," Smith told Sky Sports. "Defensively they have been a car crash, they really have. I feel for Jonny Evans really here, faced with a one-vs-one against an inform centre-forward. He just does nothing.

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"And what about that for a strike. Every time they have gone forward they have found encouragement and gaps. They have found United wanting. I cannot believe he has skated through so easily."

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher added his thoughts at half-time, saying: "I spoke about this before the game, and I haev done for the last few months. When Manchester United...the postions the players take up make it almost impossibile to make a pattern of play and make it difficult for the oppositon.

"So Casemiro steps in, he hasn't really got too many options. It's a bit of a mess and he's out of position, but this is absolutely fantastic. This (Mateta) is a player with confidence, nine goals out of ten games under Oliver Glasner?"

Ashley Young added: "As for this now, it’s shambolic to be honest with you. Casemiro, I don’t know what he’s thinking or what he’s doing. Maybe he thinks that Olise will go backwards, but Olise sees he is going to come out and try and make a challenge. He literally walks past him. It’s so easy."

Carragher then concluded, saying: "Listen, he’s playing out of position tonight this has nothing to do with playing out of position. That could be in a holding midfield role.

"I mean that is embarrassing and they need to bring him off. He needs to come off the pitch. Honestly. Nothing can be worse than Casemiro playing centre-back in the second half for Manchester United. Get Wan-Bisakka in the middle and get someone on."