'This is how stupid football has become': Danny Murphy questioned Manchester United coaches over half-time decision in Crystal Palace defeat

talkSPORT's Danny Murphy was amazed at the way Manchester United's players warmed up for the second half of their defeat at Crystal Palace.

He First division giants were 4-0 win away against the Eagles on Monday night, dealing a blow to their Europa League qualification hopes.

Goals from Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta ensured United trailed 2-0 at half-time and needed a big response to salvage the result in the second half.

However, when we talk about commentary for talkSPORT, murphy He was left confused by what the player did when he emerged from the Selhurst Park tunnel.

“There is a member of (Erik) ten Hag's staff who runs from the dugout to the corner flag where they start here at Palace. “He has placed three yellow and three red cones about a meter away.

“As the players came out, he insisted that each of them take quick little short steps between the three cones and then run toward the center of the field.

“As if that's going to make any difference, look at them now standing around chatting because they came out early. Those little six cones, I don't know what their role is, maybe it's a cone man instead of a stage man.” But the reality is that football has become that stupid.

“Let them think that those little six cones and those little short steps for a millisecond are going to make a difference in the mentality of those players. You do your thing, you have your head right, you go out, you do something.” sprints, you do your little knees, you do whatever you want to prepare. “Doing that is…oh my God.”

Presenter Adrian Durham also noted that the United players were simply wandering around waiting for the Palace team to come out, having returned to the pitch much earlier.

Murphy continued: “The reason you go out early is to prepare and that means running, doing some sprints, getting angry, doing whatever you have to do.

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“Not standing there chatting for sixty seconds after taking three little steps, the sports science coach or physical trainer thinks: 'I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll get them going, I'll put three little cones in by the time they come out, that'll be enough.'

“It's nice to do it to get you going, but then they were chatting for a minute!”

Durham added: “It seems like a really strange thing to send them out early, running around the cones and then standing around chatting or looking lazy or wondering why you're there so early. Very, very strange from a Manchester united point of view.”

Tyrick Mitchell scored Palace's third goal of the night just before the hour mark before Olise scored his second in the 66th minute.

United were outplayed that night in south London and the defeat, their 13th in the league this season, leaves them eighth in the table with three games left.

It has also raised further questions over Ten Hag's future, with talkSPORT's Jason Cundy branding him a 'lootable yield'.

Things won't get any easier for United either, as they face an Arsenal team at the top of the table and chasing the title in the final two weeks of the season.