A deep-lying defence can be very tough to break down if you haven’t made specific plans to deal with it, and as Manchester United found out to their cost against Crystal Palace that it can lead to shock results.

The Eagles have perfected the “low block” away from home in the league in recent seasons under Roy Hodgson. Their pace on the wings and up front means they can transition quickly from all eleven men behind the ball into counter-attacking mode.

A 3-2 win at Manchester City last season was followed by a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield and a 3-2 victory at Arsenal. They are notorious for making the most of their chances on the road.

Against United, Palace had three shots on target, two of which went in. The Red Devils meanwhile had 20 shots, with only four on target. The lack of accuracy is not only testament to the Eagles backline but also to a lack of composure from United in the final third.

There are three key things that you must not do against a team that sets up with a low block. 1) cross the ball 2) shoot from long range 3) narrow spaces between teammates.

Against Palace, United crossed the ball 19 times, the most they had tried since the narrow 2-1 win against West Ham in early April.  The reason why you don’t cross the ball is that the low block is specifically designed to force you into doing just that. Crosses are easier to defend than quick one-twos around the box. It also reduces the pressure on your opponent every time a cross is cleared.

In terms of long-range shooting, quite a few of United’s 20 shots were from free-kicks and corners, while the few times they managed to get shots away closer to goal, they were poorly executed. Daniel James had a few sights on goal before he scored, which he probably should have done better with.

On the final point, spacing. The low block can cope easily when teams play narrow so it’s vital that players don’t get too close to each other and block up passing lanes. Wingers should keep their width, but look to run into space. Midfielders should be looking to pick out these runs as well as committing defenders with runs of their own in order to reduce the number of bodies between the goal.

It’s not easy to get right, but it is something that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will need to improve, especially at Old Trafford where his preferred counter-attacking style can’t always be implemented. Palace will not be the only team that comes to Manchester with the same strategy and United will need to be more prepared in future.