Same old, same old

Manchester United co-chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe (left)

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag got involved in a spiky exchange with a journalist during his post-match media conference after the home defeat by Liverpool.

The crux of the issue was that the journalist felt many of the failings that have been evident over the past two seasons - counter-attacks when his side are outnumbered, the amount of chances they give away - are down to his coaching rather than the personnel. Ten Hag challenged the observation.

It was a similar question I put to the Dutchman after the late defeat at Brighton last week.

He rejected it then as well.

Yet the evidence is mounting. And whether he agrees or not, if United keep conceding the kind of cheap goals they were guilty of at Brighton and again against Liverpool, they will lose plenty of matches. And he will be in trouble.

Ten Hag says he is not Harry Potter. That is fine. But he needs to be a man with a plan.