Manchester United have deadline day demand after £9million deal exposed recruitment nightmare
At one point in the second half at Old Trafford, the cameras cut to the Crystal Palace dignitaries, smiling broadly, enjoying a comfortable afternoon out. Before they left, their Manchester United counterparts might have enquired about Jean-Philippe Mateta's availability on deadline day.
It is easy to surmise this game: the team with a goalscorer scored twice, and the team without a goalscorer didn't score. Of course, Mateta won't be available tomorrow, not that United could afford him. Palace spent £9million in signing Mateta from Mainz. The 27-year-old is worth many times that figure now.
It's the type of deal United could never dream of pulling off. They committed up to £72m to sign Rasmus Hojlund and £36.5m on Joshua Zirkzee. They have 11 goals in 65 games between them this season, Mateta has 13 in 28 games. Is it really that surprising that Crystal Palace won at Old Trafford?
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So poor have United's strikers been that Amorim finally relented and picked neither on Sunday. It made little difference. Before the weekend, only Southampton and Palace had underperformed their xG more than United. Their record of 28 goals after 24 games is United's worst-ever tally in the Premier League era.
There aren't many clubs in the Premier League that don't have a striker that wouldn't improve this side. Unfortunately for United, most of them aren't for sale, and almost none are available for loan.
One of the highest-scoring players in Amorim's squad is about to join Aston Villa and play in the Champions League instead. Another has been bumped back down the pitch to a holding role.
It's hard to quibble with Amorim's decision to get rid of Marcus Rashford, but it's absolutely essential that a replacement is signed on deadline day. Some Old Trafford staffers fear Chelsea returning to the table for Alejandro Garnacho on Monday, but if a London dialling code calls, they should just ignore it. The focus has to be on bringing attackers in rather than shunting them out.
Mathys Tel and Christopher Nkunku are options on the table for United. Bayern Munich and Chelsea could let them go on loan, and it's clear they would improve United's forward line.
That was very obvious because a midfielder started as a striker against Palace. On Thursday night in Bucharest, it was a surprise to see Kobbie Mainoo playing as an attacking midfielder, so it was even more of a surprise on Sunday afternoon in Manchester to see him playing as a striker. Amorim praised his ability to play the ball near the opposition penalty area and to make connections in attacking areas, so perhaps it had been hinted it, but it said more about the alternative options than it did about Mainoo.
In the early stages, you wondered if Amorim had stumbled onto something. Mainoo's close control in the box created a chance for Garnacho which was deflected wide, before Amad's dribbling teed up an opportunity for Mainoo. His shot was deflected and struck the post.
But the bright start fizzled out when Palace began to get to grips with the system. In Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi, they had three imposing central defenders who had the better of Garnacho, Amad and Mainoo in physical duels. Too often United played high balls forward, giving their attackers no chance.
It was the same tactic that so infuriated Hojlund, asked to compete in situations he isn't comfortable with. At least the 6ft 2ins Dane has half a chance in those battles. Mainoo, coming in at 5ft 7ins, stood none. Garnacho was the tallest of that front three at 5ft 9ins.
Amorim wants speed and physicality from his centre-forward. In Lisbon, he had the prototype in Viktor Gyokeres. He was tall, strong, fast, and able to run the channels and exploit high defensive lines. United don't have anything close to that in their current striking options.
They ended the first half looking out of ideas already. It was the 18th time in 24 games they had failed to trouble the scorers before the break in the Premier League this season.
It was a sign of things to come. United's system, with Mainoo dropping between the lines, was toothless, and it was easy for Palace to defend against. Having started with no strikers, Amorim turned to both of them with a quarter of the game to go and another desperate situation to be rescued.
When Palace took the lead it was a sign of what United lack. Mateta's tap-in was a simple one, but he was in the right place at the right time, looking to capitalise if the ball came back towards the six-yard box. It did, and he scored. It's hard to envisage any of United's forwards being so proactive in searching out those simple goals. That needs to change on deadline day.
