Ralf Rangnick stated Manchester United was a club he couldn't turn down when they signalled their interest to make him their interim manager but a week into the job he already faces an uncomfortable dilemma about one of their most talented stars.
The German coach stuck with the same side which defeated Arsenal in midweek for his first match in charge but changed things up with a new-look 4-2-2-2 approach which had all the hints of what he would like to implement in the weeks ahead.
David de Gea was urged to go long whenever he got the ball, full-backs Diogo Dalot and Alex Telles were encouraged to support the attacking efforts and the quartet of attackers operated as a unit with plenty of interchanging in order to confuse the Palace defence.
United's performance is followed by the noticeable asterisk of mitigation given Rangnick only took charge of one full training session before the match but already there is clear work to be done in regards to his midfield balance.
Fred and Scott McTominay remain the reliable but restrictive partnership in the two central roles, though in these early days of the interim manager they appear to suffer from the same lack of passing threat that was so apparent under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Instead much of United's attacking threat came from line-breaking balls from both full-backs or long sweeping passes from the two centre-backs, almost overriding the lack of creativity that came from the mobile midfielders.
With an emphasis on the collective effort, Rangnick will likely stick with the 'McFred' axis in the weeks ahead in order to provide the movement and energy he craves for his high-pressing approach, though he can't ignore the lack of creativity that remains against teams who frustrate such as Palace.
In order to find the breakthrough, there is an added importance on the attacking midfielder and unfortunately, Bruno Fernandes endured one of the frustrating days which have become more prevalent this season. Whereas the 'midfield magnifico' used to be the star man in this United side he is now operating in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo and appears to be taking more risks on the pitch in order to stand out.
On his day Fernandes remains one of the most exciting players to watch in the Premier League but on recent form he is now slipping into a category below the leading playmakers in the world and struggling to dictate matches in the same manner as many other elite midfielders.
United's frustrations are further amplified by the fact they have a ready-made replacement in Donny van de Beek who now looks more obvious as a No.10 in place of Fernandes than he does playing in either of the deeper roles.
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Ragnick's desire for perpetual movement from his forward line surely adds further endorsement to Van de Beek's claims for a starting role given his combined work rate and mobility, it is certainly something which needs to be explored with the visit of BSC Young Boys in the Champions League dead-rubber this week.
If fit there is also reason to suggest Jesse Lingard should be considered for such a role, though with his time at the club surely coming to an end next year Van de Beek remains the most obvious to challenge for a regular starting berth.
The standing ovation Fernandes received when he was finally replaced by the Dutchman on Sunday afternoon emphasised just how loved he is by United fans, though the endless chorus of 'Donny van de Beek' which followed from the Stretford End was a reminder of the talent waiting in the wings.
A good manager will be able to get all of his players to star in the same starting line up and the role of Fernandes this season could be one of the biggest tasks Ragnick has to solve as interim manager.
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