Ten Hag Breaks Silence After Man’U Loss To Liverpool

Despite the Sunday 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford, Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag has made it clear that his team still has a strong chance of winning a trophy this season.

Erik added that he is “not Harry Potter,” and insist that three of his players played their first start of the season.

Recall that Liverpool took control early in the match, with Luis Diaz scoring twice in the first half and Mohamed Salah adding a third goal shortly after the break.

,,,,,,United were lucky to avoid a repeat of their 5-0 loss to Liverpool from 2021.

According to him; “It is not like I am Harry Potter,” he said. “You have to acknowledge that.

,,,,,“For three players it was their first start of the season.

,,,,,“Manuel Ugarte did not play one minute – he needs to build his fitness. Then we have to build him into the team. I am sure he will contribute to our team. It will take a couple of weeks, maybe even a month. That is the same for a lot of players.”

,,,,,,Ten Hag’s starting lineup included six of his recent signings, including the latest addition, £50.5 million Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who was introduced to the fans before the game after being registered just before the Friday 12:00 BST deadline.

….Currently sitting 14th in the Premier League with only three points from their first three matches, Ten Hag dismissed the negative outlook on the result, suggesting that while he may not perform miracles, his focus remains on achieving success with the squad.

…..Ten Hag included striker Joshua Zirkzee in the lineup, who had a mixed performance.

,,,,The Netherlands forward had several aimless passes but also created United’s best chances—one of which he missed and the other was superbly saved by Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Alisson Becker.

,,,,,Matthijs de Ligt seemed uneasy in defense alongside Lisandro Martinez, while England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo struggled against Ryan Gravenberch, who shone in midfield for Liverpool.

,,,,,During the post-match press conference, Ten Hag engaged in a heated exchange with a journalist.

,,,,The former Ajax manager defended his tactics, stating he had a “different vision” from the criticism suggesting his team had been making the same mistakes for two years, arguing that if that were true, United would not be winning trophies or defeating stronger opponents.

“I don’t want to talk about positives today,” he said. “This defeat hurts for us and our fans.

“It is the third game of the season. I have had to explain this so many times. We have to build a new team. We will be fine but it is clear we have to improve.

,,,,,“At the end of the season I am quite confident we will have a big chance to lift another trophy.”

….,,,He lost possession to Ryan Gravenberch deep in United’s half for the first goal and was easily dispossessed by Luis Diaz for the second.

At halftime, Ten Hag made the bold decision to substitute Casemiro with 20-year-old Toby Collyer.

,,,,,A video circulated on social media allegedly showing Casemiro leaving Old Trafford early, but Ten Hag dismissed these claims.

“He didn’t leave the stadium at half-time,” the manager said. “I met him in the dressing room after the game.

,,,,,“I took him off because we were 2-0 down against an opponent like Liverpool. We had to take risks because we wanted to bounce back and needed players in midfield who can cover the ground.

____“He won everything in his career. I am sure he will keep contributing to our team.”