Manchester, Sep 2 2024-
After Manchester United succumbed to a 3-0 defeat to arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford, manager Erik ten Hag emphasised the challenges of rebuilding his team and reminded everyone that he is not a miracle worker while adding that his side have a big chance to lift a trophy this season.
Liverpool picked up their third win on the trot by scoring with each of their three shots on target and were ruthless in punishing United’s losses of possession in key areas.
Luis Diaz struck twice in the first half, after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s early effort was ruled out by VAR, and Mohamed Salah added a third with all of the goals coming from costly turnovers of possession, ensuring a comfortable victory for the Merseyside club.
Ten Hag’s side are currently languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table, found themselves with only three points from their first three matches.
Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte, was paraded in front of the fans before kick-off but did not feature in the match, having been registered too late to play. Ten Hag admitted that Ugarte, like many of his players, would need time to settle into the team.
“We have to build him into the team. It is not like I am Harry Potter. That is what you have to acknowledge. And if you see Manuel Ugarte, he didn’t play so far in the season. Not one match minute.
He needs to build his fitness and then we have to build him in the team,” Ten Hag said in a post match presser. I am sure he will contribute to our team. It will take a couple of weeks, maybe even a month,” he added.
After the game, a video surfaced on social media that claimed to show Casemiro leaving Old Trafford early, sparking speculation about the player’s mood.
Ten Hag was quick to dismiss these rumors, stating, “He didn’t leave the stadium at half-time. 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.”
Despite the defeat and the growing pressure, Ten Hag remained confident about the future. He rejected the notion that United were repeating the mistakes of the past.
“I don’t want to talk about positives today. 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,” the 54-year-old concluded. (Agency)
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