Liverpool 4-0 Man Utd: Anfield defeat shows scale of task facing Erik ten Hag
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Manchester United lost 4-0 against Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday, following their 5-0 thrashing by the same opposition at Old Trafford in October
Erik ten Hag's impending arrival as Manchester United's new manager should be a cause for celebration. Instead, the overriding emotion when the Dutchman walks through Old Trafford's doors will be sympathy.
The brutal reality of what Ten Hag is letting himself in for can be illustrated by the fact he is inheriting a bigger, more problematic task at United than Jurgen Klopp did when he succeeded the sacked Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool in October 2015.
At least Klopp inherited a unified dressing room devoid of players who thought themselves better than they were, who actually wanted to be at the club, and a base of decent characters to launch Liverpool's road to redemption.
In contrast, Ten Hag will be taking on a dysfunctional dressing room inhabited by players who do not want to be there, who are not good enough to be there and a team that embarrassed the club's good name in the 4-0 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield.
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Every aspect of Liverpool's overwhelming win underscored the gulf that has grown between the clubs, something Ten Hag will be asked to address. Best of luck Erik.
What a job this is for a manager taking his first Premier League post.
Two league games this season, a 9-0 'aggregate' in Liverpool's favour. A chastening example of what happens when a club with a structure that has recruited brilliantly comes up against a monstrosity compiled via a lack of structure and a recruitment strategy seemingly based on the logic of plucking names out of a hat.
When Ten Hag plucks up the courage to watch this horror show, it will encapsulate exactly how and why United have gone wrong and what he must somehow inject into this team, this club.
Let's get one thing straight: Liverpool were magnificent. Any side in world football would have struggled against Klopp's team as they showed again why the historic quadruple of English league title, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League is a genuine possibility.
Few, however, would have made life as comfortable for Liverpool in possession and given them such an easy ride in all aspects of this game.
It seems something plucked from the realms of fantasy land, barely believable that it still remains a possibility, that United had aspirations of their own going into this game. They were, somehow, still in real contention for the top four and a place in next season's Champions League.
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United were without Cristiano Ronaldo following the death of his newborn son and there was a genuinely heart-warming moment in the seventh minute when both sets of supporters applauded in support of the Portuguese and his family.
For a player who has been portrayed by some as a "problem" for the current United, the evidence of this game suggests there are multiple other difficulties to tackle before you get anywhere near Ronaldo.
In the first half especially, United lacked guts, heart, fight and even the ability to tackle Liverpool's players. This list of qualities should be base camp for any Manchester United side when they come to Anfield. Not a bit of it.
Liverpool were untroubled by any United players. There was no aggression or spite. They could not even rouse themselves to rattle Liverpool as they strolled around. Liverpool strung together 25 passes for their second goal, scored by Mohamed Salah, with only Virgil van Dijk not involved.
When Ten Hag finally gets behind his desk at Carrington, he must somehow find leaders, characters, players who will not shrink as this United did here.
Manchester United only had 28% of the possession and just managed two shots - with one hitting the target - against Liverpool
Harry Maguire is the current leader as captain but he looks broken.
He had yet another dreadful night (although he was certainly not on his own here), summed up by his dismal part in Liverpool's fourth goal, starting with a wild, misplaced pass out to the wing then a losing gamble in stepping up as Salah raced through for his second.
There are so many worrying signs in Maguire's game, including a habit of raising his arm not in the belief opponents are offside but in the desperate hope that they are to stop him being exposed once more.
The current managerial incumbent Ralf Rangnick looks and sounds like he has given up on this team and on this evidence the feeling is mutual.
Rangnick's decision to give a rare outing to Phil Jones, only his third league start in 17 months, was a huge surprise. Jones, however, deserves sympathy rather than criticism as this was the very definition of a hiding to nothing against a rampant Liverpool. It was no surprise when he was taken off at half-time.
United were so bad that the Kop turned to mockery when the start of the second half was held up after referee Martin Atkinson suffered a technical malfunction with his kit. A ball was sent on to keep the players active and Anfield echoed to ironic chants of "ole" as United knocked it about among themselves. Brutal stuff.
It was actually United's most convincing spell of possession in the game.
Ten Hag's official confirmation is expected imminently. It cannot come soon enough for a besieged United hierarchy and a rudderless club desperate to deliver some good news and throw focus forward to the future rather than on the current debacle.
He will, as is the tradition, get plenty of "good luck" messages.
Ten Hag will need every single one of them as he tries to piece this fractured Manchester United mess back together.
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