Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watches from the bench at Old Trafford as Manchester United lose 2-1 to Crystal Palace

Solskjaer: This defeat is hard to take

Saturday 24 August 2019 18:22

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer felt Manchester United were missing 'the Midas touch' as a resolute Crystal Palace picked up three points against us for the first time in the Premier League.

The Reds dominated most of the match statistics but couldn't convert the lion's share of shots, possession and chances created into goals. Even when Daniel James scored a brilliant equaliser at the Stretford End, there was still a sting in the tail as Patrick van Aanholt fired past David De Gea in injury time to snatch an unlikely win for the Eagles.

Here's what Ole had to say in his post-match interview with MUTV...

TOUGH RESULT TO TAKE
"Yeah, definitely. The first half was poor. In the first half-an-hour you're feeling you're controlling it and maybe it seems too easy. We didn't really have that zip and urgency about us and they scored with the first chance. Just a long kick, it should never happen, that's poor defending. But in the second half, I thought we were excellent. We were pressing, pushing, creating chances, just not scoring. We didn't have that Midas touch today."
Solskjaer consults with the officials at the final whistle.
PALACE TOOK THEIR CHANCES
"We knew they were going to come here to defend well and counterattack and they are a threat [with that]. They've got pace up front, they've got quality up front and they had three chances, scoring two goals. They shouldn't really be chances, really, two of them."

ONE PENALTY MISSED, OTHERS NOT AWARDED

"There were a few other [penalties we should have been given], definitely. Fine margins, isn't it? We're disappointed of course that we didn't win the game and I'm sure Marcus will look at his penalty again, but he'll definitely step up again and score."
EXCELLENT EQUALISER
"It was a good attack - well done Paul [Pogba], for winning the ball back, going forward. And it was a great finish [by James], top corner. Then for the last five minutes we should have managed them better, because Anthony [Martial] was injured. He was hobbling around, so he couldn't really give us anything, so we played with 10 men. Maybe we should have played a few more passes. Maybe they could have come at us, but that happens. They scored a good goal."

INJURIES TO MARTIAL AND SHAW

"We'll have to wait and see [how they are]. Hopefully they won't be too bad and maybe we can have them training during the week."
Ole's opinion on the Palace defeat Video

Ole's opinion on the Palace defeat

Watch as Solskjaer explains his opinion on the performance, result and notable incidents...

RESPONDING TO A DISAPPOINTMENT
"The last two results were disappointments  because at Wolverhampton you feel we deserved to win, and today we deserved to win, but you don't always get what you deserve in football. We have to make sure we go to Southampton with the bit between our teeth and play better, score goals and win the game."

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