Wout Weghorst’s debut for Manchester United on Wednesday evening did not result in a goal or an assist. Nevertheless, the Dutchman received compliments from Erik ten Hag and teammate David de Gea afterwards. The media was largely appreciative if the striker as well.
Ten Hag surprisingly placed Weghorst in the starting line- up at Selhurst Park, partly due to Anthony Martial’s hamstring injury. Last Saturday Weghorst was still an attentive spectator during the spectacular Manchester Derby, which was won 2-1 by United. The striker was not yet eligible to play at that time.
United went to Selhurst Park for their tenth consecutive win in all competitions. With a win, Ten Hag’s team could have climbed up to the second position in the Premier League for a while.
The tall Dutchman made an eager impression at his debut of fire and was of value several times in the first half as a point of contact over the ground. He created chances for Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.
Weghorst himself was able to fire at Palace’s goal once: he headed just over from a Luke Shaw cross. Weghorst had a modest role in United’s 0-1 just before half-time. He pulled three Palace defenders with him with a run towards the near post, allowing Fernandes to shoot in completely free.
The compliments
Weghorst was substituted halfway through the second half. Afterwards, Ten Hag looked back at Sky Sports on his compatriot’s debut: “I think he did quite well. He still needs to adjust to our game. Of course he doesn’t know our way of playing yet. He has only been here a short time and has only trained a few times,” Ten Hag explained.
Goalkeeper David de Gea also thought that Weghorst did well given the circumstances. The shot stopper mentioned, “He did well. He’s a great guy, he helps the team on both sides of the field. I thought it was a good debut.”
Local newspaper Manchester Evening News rates Weghorst’s performance with a 6. “He played a neat role as a point of contact, especially when you consider that he only trained three times. His only chance was a header that went over,” they wrote.
