Man Utd defender Leny Yoro conceded a penalty against Crystal Palace and was brought off in the second half.
Yoro looked disappointed with himself.(Image: Amazon Prime)
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As Manchester United applauded the away section at Selhurst Park, Leny Yoro walked with his hood up. Yoro was visibly disappointed with his performance and Mason Mount put an arm around him.
Mount spoke a few words of encouragement to Yoro and patted him as if to say 'don't worry about it'. The defender was brought off in the 54th minute and TV cameras showed him crestfallen on the bench.
Yoro appears to be his own harshest critic. He was aware his performance against Crystal Palace was poor and seemed to be beating himself up, even after the three points were secured.
United now have one choice with Yoro: support him and take him out of the firing line to help restore his confidence. He only celebrated his 20th birthday last month, and every young player is bound to have challenging moments, but what truly matters is how one reacts to adversity.
Yoro's display wasn't a complete surprise after his showing against Everton last Monday, as he'd been one of the culprits in the build-up to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's goal at Old Trafford.
The warning signs were there in Croydon. Matthijs de Ligt and Yoro got their wires crossed, which led to a sitter for Jean-Philippe Mateta, but Yoro redeemed himself with a superb block to deny Yeremy Pino.
That was until Yoro made a clumsy challenge to concede a penalty. It was the type of tackle made by a player struggling with confidence. Yoro was not in a position to yield a clean challenge and he still attempted to win the ball, which inevitably meant Mateta was fouled in the penalty area.
Yoro probably wouldn't have tried to make that challenge if he were in a better vein of form. He was aware he wasn't playing at his best and was desperate to try to make a difference, which led to a bad decision.
The consensus in the press box during the interval as United trailed 1-0 was they had little chance of winning after an awful 45 minutes, but they reacted in a much-improved second half.
Johsua Zirkzee and Mount scored brilliant goals to wrap up a victory, condemning Palace to a first defeat at Selhurst Park in the Premier League for nine months. Palace grew weary due to their Thursday night exploits, but that should not take away from United's reaction after a dismal first half.
Leny Yoro of Manchester United in action during the Premier League match against Crystal Palace
Yoro endured a difficult afternoon.(Image: Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Mount should be lauded for exchanging a few thoughtful words with Yoro after the final whistle. The midfielder comes across as genuine when he speaks to journalists in the mixed zone, and made sure to comfort Yoro when he could have just lapped up the adulation for his goal.
When Yoro recently spoke to reporters at Carrington, he spoke about strong bonds in the dressing room after the decision from Amorim to axe a handful of players in the summer window.
"This is just one group of friends. This is the best for the team," said Yoro. His teammates will support him after Palace and remind him that peaks and troughs are all part of the journey as a player.
Rio Ferdinand wrote on social media: "This game can send you crazy at times… Use these learnings as fuel. He’s a young player and will bounce back. It's a new day tomorrow."
Ferdinand's shouting during games on TNT Sports commentary has not been missed this season, but his words of advice for Yoro are valuable. The Frenchman is still learning, and every player can have an off day.
Yoro suffered a bad week and will become a better player for it, because making mistakes is the only way to learn. Amorim was right to bring him off early in the second half, and it's logical to remove him from the spotlight against West Ham on Thursday night to protect his confidence.
Lisandro Martinez made his first appearance since picking up an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the beginning of February and could replace Yoro in the starting team, while Noussair Mazraoui is also an option, along with Ayden Heaven, so there is no need to start Yoro against West Ham.
Giving Yoro a breather after two disappointing performances will do him the world of good. It would be common-sense management of a player who is still young and developing aspects of his game.
There will be a time when Yoro is held to a higher standard, but he wouldn't have been human if he hadn't had a few off days along the way to reaching his full potential. He will come back stronger after Selhurst Park.