Premier League ki dauraan Manchester United kabhi saatvein number se neeche nahi aaya hai, lekin ab woh isi mumkinat ka saamna kar rahe hain.
Manchester United Europe ke liye agle season qualify karne mei kamiyaab nahi ho sakte, kyunke Crystal Palace ke saath 4-0 ka haar unhe Premier League mei athvein sthan par chhod gaya.
Michael Olise ne do gol kiye, Jean-Philippe Mateta aur Tyrick Mitchell ke golon ke beech, jabki Oliver Glasner ke manager banne ke baad Eagles ka ubhaar jari hai.
Purani Trafford mei naye boss ki zarurat jald aa sakti hai, kyunke Erik ten Hag apne doosre season mei giravat ko rok nahi pa rahe hain.
“Main ladai jaari rakhoonga aur maine apni team ko sabse behtar tareeke se tayyar kiya. Ye kafi accha nahi tha, bilkul bhi nahi, isliye mujhe is zimmedari ka saamna karna hoga,” Ten Hag ne kaha.
United ne 1989-90 season se sirf ek baar European competition mei shamil nahi hua hai.
Ye waqt David Moyes ke eklaute campaign ke baad aaya tha jab woh saatvein sthan par khatam hue aur 10 saal pehle Scotsman ko 4 matches baaki rehne par nikal diya gaya.
Premier League ki dauraan Manchester United kabhi saatvein number se neeche nahi aaya hai, lekin ab woh is mumkinat ka saamna kar rahe hain, jab Old Trafford mei Sunday ko aane waale title chase karne waale Arsenal se mukabla hoga.
Ten Hag ne apni team ke sambhav shikast ke liye aksar chot aur marhamat ki pareshaniyon ko zikr kiya hai.
Dutchman ko majboori mein ek makeshift backline banaani padi jabki Casemiro centre-back ki jagah par dastakhat karte hue aur 36 saal ke Jonny Evans ke saath khade hue.
“Jung ki kami”
Kaptaan Bruno Fernandes bhi maujood nahi the jab unki shan-daar record jo unki puri career mein kisi chot ki wajah se kisi bhi club ke match mei ghair maujoodi ki thi, wo khatam ho gayi.
“Poore season mei, humare paas badi (chot) ki samasya hai,” Ten Hag ne joda. “Ye 2024 ka chaarvaan haar hai, to ye zyada nahi hai aur har baar humare paas badi samasya thi. Bohot baar, hum iska hal nikalte hain, lekin aaj, humne nahi kiya.”
Lekin Manchester United ki taraf se dikhaaye gaye jung ya quality ki kami ke liye koi badi udhaar nahi tha, jinke paichhle saat match mei unki ekmatra Premier League jeet niche girte Sheffield United ke khilaaf aayi thi.
Palace apne paanch aakhri match mei asar nahi huye hain jabki pehle Eintracht Frankfurt ke boss Glasner ka project shakl le raha hai.
“Pehle half mei hum jitna accha khel sakte the, utna nahi khela lekin hum bohot efisient the,” Glasner ne kaha.
“Half-time par humne badlav kiye aur doosra half kaafi behtar tha. Game ka zyada control, zyada chances banaye aur achhe goals kiye.”
Dakshin London ke club ko agle season Austrian ke neeche aur bhi behtar cheezon ki taraf badhne ke liye Olise aur Eberechi Eze ke iraadon se bachna padega.
Olise ne United, Manchester City aur Chelsea ki taraf se dilchaspi ko khinch liya hai aur dikhaya kyunke woh aasaani se visitors ke defense ke beech se guzarte hue Andre Onana ke khilaaf neeche goal mara.
Pehle half mei United ne ek bhi lakri ko target par nahi rakha, lekin khel ke virudh ek level pe pahunchne mei badkismati se nahi the.
Casemiro ka looped header net mei gir gaya jab Rasmus Hojlund ne Palace ke goalkeeper Dean Henderson ke saath takraav kiya aur ek dhakka ke liye sakht saza suni.
Lekin do-goal ka half-time lead Palace ke superiority ke liye kam tha.
Mateta Glasner ke neeche ek badal gaya aadmi ban chuka hai aur bina kisi mushkil ke leaden-footed Evans ke saath aasani se uska 11 mein nauwaan gol mara.
United ka break ke baad koi jawab nahi tha ek raat mei jo club ke naye leadership group ke liye akhiri straw ho sakta hai jab Ten Hag ke mustaqbil ke faislay ko decide karenge.
Mitchell ne ek rare goal kiya close range se jab United ko set-piece se khulne diya gaya.
Fir Onana ko Olise ke strike ki takat ne caught out kar diya jo Cameroonian ke paas se udaa kar gaya.
Haar ka margin United ke goal difference ko -3 par le gaya jo ek afsosnak season ki kahani sunata hai 20 baar ke English champions ki.
FA Cup final Manchester City ke khilaaf Ten Hag ko ek aakhri mauka diya hai redemption ke liye, agar woh 25 May tak zimmedar reh paate hain.
Halaanki, is saboot ke aadhar par, United ke fans ko darr hai ke double-chasing City Wembley mei badlaav ke aakhri hadd tak pahunch sakte hain aur sabse badi sharmindaai ko mukammal kar sakte hain.