What was said about Sabitzer's United debut?
Marcel Sabitzer made his Manchester United debut from the bench against Crystal Palace, with a tenacious midfield cameo that drew praise from his manager, team-mates and fans alike.
Our new no.15 arrived on loan from Bayern Munich on Tuesday night and was thrown into a tense Old Trafford atmosphere four days later, as he entered the fray against Crystal Palace with the scoreline finely poised at 2-1 to the Reds.
The Austria international came off the bench with nine minutes of the 90 left to play and was tasked with helping to solidify our midfield as Palace applied plenty of pressure in search of an equaliser.
Sabitzer showed composure on the ball and energy off it in his time on the pitch, and though that was limited, it was enough for onlookers to recognise the quality he is bringing to the Reds’ midfield ranks.
The Austrian's impact was also noted by his new manager Erik ten Hag when he spoke to MUTV after the game.
“He understands football,” said Ten Hag. “You see it straight from the start. You have seen that in the training as well, but yeah, he did quite well.
“He's really composed on the ball and he knows how to defend so you need a player like that who understands the game and will bring the right spirit.”
Luke Shaw – playing in close proximity to our new signing, who took up a left-sided central midfield role – was full of praise for our latest addition, too.
“He was amazing and he’s not been here long,” Shaw told MUTV.
“He’s only been here a couple of days now and he showed his quality in training. I think to come on with 10 men and show that impressive performance in not so long [on the pitch] is good and shows signs to come of what he’s about.”
Marcel also acknowledged his debut with a post on social media after the game, where he earned the congratulations of Reds including Lisandro Martinez and Alejandro Garnacho.
He wrote on Instagram: “My debut for United at Old Trafford. Wow! Thanks for your great support!”