Premier League: Ten Hag needs United to win against old rivals
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui (right) react after the Premier League defeat at the American Express Stadium, Brighton. Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire.
One of the fixtures most football fans pick out when the Premier League schedule is released in the early summer, is the meeting of Manchester United and Liverpool.
The meeting of England’s two most successful clubs still can grab the attention of most football fans, even if the reality of late, for both clubs, struggles to reach the heights of fantasy.
Tomorrow’s Old Trafford encounter comes earlier in the season than most years and yet, despite its earliness, the match still may have the potential of having a deep impact on the season outcome for both clubs come next May.
United’s start to the season can be described as indifferent at best. An uncomfortable 1-0 home win in the season opener against Fulham, required a late winner from sub, Joshua Zirkzee, and was followed by a majorly disappointing 2-1 away defeat at the hands of the always plucky Brighton & Hove Albion. This time the late winner going against them.
While most seasons, these results would not see any panic button being thrown, current United boss Erik ten Hag does not possess the comfort of universal support within the club like many of his predecessors. A defeat against the old enemy, at home, may be enough for the powers that be to cut the already tenuous thread holding Ten Hag in position.
For Liverpool new boss Arne Slot, the threat to his position is not as dire. Two accomplished clean-sheet wins to start the season against Ipswich away and Brentford at home, last week, have been warmly welcomed by supporters, even if the fanfare post Jurgen Klopp remains a bit subdued. It is just Ipswich and Brentford to be fair after all. A win against United, at Old Trafford, would push a lot more credit into the Slot ledger and make him a bit of a club legend right from the off, should he and the side accomplish it.
A defeat on the other hand, while not at all fatal to his new role at Anfield, would still see many fans take a beat on their new boss, probably requiring more work from the Dutch man to win over the Kop.
Liverpool have the benefit of a pretty much clean bill of health going into the game, with Curtis Jones the only concern. And seem to be getting an early return from their attacking lineup of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, and Diogo Joto. Maybe the main concern for Liverpool fans is the ongoing and rather strange lack of negotiation going on between the club and marquee players such as Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander Arnold regarding their contract extensions.
United, on the other hand, have a lot more worries regarding injuries, with Lenny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, and probably Mason Mount on the injury list. While outside of the therapy room the talk centres around a possible Chelsea swap with Jadon Sancho swap for Raheem Sterling, which will go down well with Liverpool fans. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford looks set to be side-lined tomorrow as he’s found it difficult to even find the target, not to mind score, in United’s two opening games. Leading to speculation about his ongoing future with the Red Devils too.
A look at the Premier League record over the past decade might suggest that Ten Hag and United fans will be happy to see the back of Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. In the nine years the German was in charge at Liverpool, United managed only three wins in the league since 2016. Losing six and drawing eight. But those figures hide the 21 goals to four in Liverpool’s favour, scored across their famous run of five wins to one defeat over the period between January 2020 to March 2023.
Recent matches between the sides has seen United and Ten Hag bring the fixture under control with two league draws and a notable morale-boosting 4-3 FA Cup semi-final win on their way to the cup title last season, that effectively kept Ten Hag in the job at Old Trafford.
Another point in Ten Hag’s favour, is that whenever opinion is low for United’s chances against Liverpool it seems to the exact moment United pull out all the stops and claim a favourable result. So often, when form indicates that United will be in for a thrashing at the hands of Liverpool, Ten Hag has managed to get his team up for the challenge and pull off a surprise. Judging by United’s start to the season, Ten Hag will have his side charged up for tomorrow’s encounter.
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