Man United were battered 3-0 by Liverpool on home turf over the weekend, but what did we learn from the match?
Weirdly, I felt hopeful going into the game against Liverpool. Manchester United hadn’t played badly during the first couple of games of the season, though against our old enemy, it was a different story.
It felt like Erik ten Hag’s side were struggling with the big-game pressure from minute one. Mistakes were being made all over the field and Arne Slot’s men were able to cut through United like a hot knife through butter, pretty much whenever they wanted.
In reality, a 3-0 defeat flattered United. It could have been far, far worse as they missed some glaring opportunities. Although it’s a new season, it feels like the same old Red Devils under Ten Hag. The gaffer has to buck his ideas up sooner rather than later or he’ll be out of a job…
Anyway, let’s give you the full run down of what we learned from the encounter at Old Trafford.
Manuel Ugarte is needed
Casemiro, man… It’s just so frustrating watching him sometimes. The Brazilian can go from excellent to a Sunday league level player on a game-by-game basis. For that reason alone, United need help in that defensive midfield position.
Manuel Ugarte has been signed, though he hasn’t played any football in almost two months. He will need time to get up to speed, though United need him to come into the side and perform well instantly. Let’s hope he’s up to the task.
Still poor defensively
This isn’t me calling out any players individually, it just feels like systematically there are some deep-rooted problems that are leading to wide open spaces for our opponents. The Liverpool second goal and the Brighton winner from last week are almost identical – just on opposite flanks. The amount of green grass both were afforded is just criminal. That’s on Ten Hag and his coaches, as well as the players.
The worst part is I genuinely do not see it changing anytime soon…
Joshua Zirkzee will need time
A goal on debut would have worked wonders for Joshua Zirkzee’s confidence levels, though there’s a reason he hasn’t been starting straight away – and only put into the team when it was a forced decision due to injury.
He looked a little lost out there yesterday, though he wasn’t alone in that regard. It goes without saying he still has the full backing of everyone. We just need to be patient and give him that time.
Chin up, lad 🙌
Today was a bad day.
But you know what you can do.
Let’s all support Joshua Zirkzee. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Lrxltf8J0e
— Dev Bajwa (@ammandev) September 1, 2024
Marcus Rashford looks like he’s given up
Honestly, it’s now frustrating watching him play. There’s a genuine lack of effort on full display sometimes, while he looks completely bereft of any confidence. I’m not sure his head is in it as much as it once was, which is the most disappointing aspect from a fan point of view.
It just feels like when things aren’t going his way, his head just drops and he completely gives up. He’s the epitome of the term ‘confidence player’ as when it’s all going well, there aren’t many better in world football. I’d sit him on the bench for a game or two, though I understand it’d be a bold call to make.
Pressure building on Erik ten Hag already
The gaffer is already treading on eggshells three games into the season. His substitution of Alejandro Garnacho was met with boos yesterday evening, while the fans will not take kindly to getting absolutely pommeled by Liverpool at home. One win in three. United are already six points off the pace.
The international break comes at the worst possible time, too, as we now have to stew on that loss for the next fortnight.
Do you think Man United can turn it around soon? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
Follow Old Trafford Faithful on Twitter for more Manchester United news and views.