16 Conclusions on Man Utd 0-3 Liverpool: Ten Hag sack, great Gravenberch, Casemiro done, unprofessional Szob
1) Not enough |A|
was made of how |B|
embarrassingly Man Utd conducted |C|
themselves this summer. They |D|
kept their under-performing manager |E|
in place on the |F|
specific basis of one |G|
excellent game at the |H|
end of a historically |J|
dreadful season, but only |K|
after conducting a semi-public |L|
interview process for the |M|
position after which, by |O|
Erik ten Hags own |P|
admission “they eventually came |Q|
to the conclusion” that, |R|
basically, no better option |S|
was readily available. They |U|
then surrounded him with |V|
an unprecedented amount of |Y|
coaches with senior first-team |Z|
experience on his staff |A|
while summarily failing to |B|
address one of the |C|
burning issues of his |D|
reign by sanctioning a |E|
summer of investment centred |F|
around players he had |G|
previously worked with. It |H|
was always fanciful to |J|
think that after his |K|
club allowed a genuine |L|
career achievement to be |M|
laughably undermined, Ten Hag |O|
might have taken the |P|
decision away from Sir |Q|
Jim Ratcliffes big old |R|
business brain by removing |S|
himself from a mess |U|
he could surely do |V|
without. The Dutchmans professional |Y|
pride would never have |Z|
allowed it, particularly not |A|
after spending a whole |B|
campaign absolving himself of |C|
responsibility for incompetent tactics |D|
by simply pointing at |E|
a continuing cycle of |F|
injuries the club itself |G|
contributed to; this campaign |H|
was an expected opportunity |J|
to prove his acumen. |K|
But the way they |L|
treated him in those |M|
moments was shameful. That |O|
one-year contract extension was |P|
never worth the pen |Q|
Ten Hag signed it |R|
with. Neither he nor |S|
Man Utd are punching |U|
or reaching in this |V|
relationship; both are just |Y|
meandering along, wasting time, |Z|
kidding themselves into thinking |A|
they can make it |B|
work. That is fine |C|
in July when pre-season |D|
positivity is prevalent and |E|
the appetite can be |F|
sated by transfer rumours |G|
and signings, but when |H|
it comes to playing |J|
actual games and establishing |K|
even a vague sense |L|
of tactical identity again |M|
the entire facade collapses |O|
in on itself, especially |P|
when faced with a |Q|
team possessing an actual |R|
idea of what it |S|
wants to do. 2) |U|
And the problem was |V|
always that keeping Ten |Y|
Hag would create a |Z|
crippling fear of being |A|
made to look stupid. |B|
The message was implicit |C|
but clear: 8th with |D|
a negative goal difference |E|
for Man Utd is |F|
fine if you win |G|
a trophy. It was |H|
a bizarrely low bar |J|
set by a new |K|
regime otherwise desperate to |L|
come across as ruthless |M|
in its decision-making. It |O|
was considerably more likely |P|
this arrangement would continue |Q|
to fail than it |R|
suddenly starting to work. |S|
This is Chelsea on |U|
a far smaller and |V|
slightly less hilarious scale: |Y|
a broken elite club |Z|
struggling to realise that |A|
the simple act of |B|
plucking parts of a |C|
first-class operation (Omar Berrada |D|
from Manchester City, Dan |E|
Ashworth from Newcastle, Casemiro |F|
from Real Madrid) and |G|
shoving them together does |H|
not a first-class operation |J|
make, but digging a |K|
hole so deep they |L|
decide it is better |M|
to carry on in |O|
blind faith rather than |P|
trying to start again. |Q|
3) |C| Beating one of the |D| few Premier League managers |E| with a longer current |F| tenure while losing to |G| two installed only this |H| summer makes for an |J| uncomfortable juxtaposition across Manchester |K| Uniteds opening three games.
|L| dir="ltr">Marco Silva was among |M| those spoken to about |O| potentially succeeding Ten Hag, |P| so the opening victory |Q| over Fulham must have |R| felt sweet. But Fabian |S| Hurzeler helped expose some |U| awkward truths and Arne |V| Slot quite frankly humiliated |Y| his compatriot.
It completely |Z| undercuts the argument that |A| Ten Hag needs more |B| time, much like how |C| the revolving transfer door |D| erodes the eternal point |E| that the latest Man |F| Utd manager Just Needs |G| More Signings, regardless of |H| how many they have |J| already made.
The structures |K| and systems at Brighton |L| and Liverpool were undeniably |M| far kinder to inherit |O| than the one Ten |P| Hag took on, but |Q| he was appointed two |R| years ago and this |S| is his team: six |U| transfers he personally vouched |V| for and two academy |Y| graduates he gave debuts |Z| to made up the |A| majority of a starting |B| line-up which looked adequate |C| for about 15 minutes |D| before crumbling.
None of |E| the Ten Hag excuses |F| are relevant. Not the |G| injuries, not transfers, not |H| the “fine margins” he |J| spent almost all of |K| last season lamenting, to |L| the point he could |M| not stop himself from |O| referencing refereeing decisions in |P| a September defeat to |Q| Arsenal up until May. |R| And certainly not the |S| need for patience, because |U| Man Utd have been |V| precisely this poor and |Y| inconsistent for longer than |Z| is worth sticking with. |A| That was the case |B| at the end of |C| last season and nothing |D| has changed.
4) |E| For Man Utd to |F| still be ambling around |G| in search of meaning |H| more than a decade |J| into their post-Ferguson years |K| must be particularly frustrating |L| when Liverpool have embraced |M| being Kloppless with such |O| confident authority.
It would |P| be difficult to find |Q| two finer examples of |R| how and how not |S| to approach that transition |U| from a dynastical manager. |V| Man Utd are still |Y| dealing with residual issues |Z| from 11 years ago, |A| but Jurgen Klopp deep-cleaned |B| the house, left chocolates |C| on the table and |D| wrote a note about |E| how to sort the |F| dodgy boiler before handing |G| over the keys.
Slot |H| has embraced the challenge, |J| too, never complaining a |K| sub-standard summer and instead |L| welcoming the opportunity to |M| work with the players |O| he has. There are legitimate |P| complaints to be made |Q| about Liverpools transfer window |R| but he was always |S| designed to be their |U| most important signing. The |V| early evidence suggests he |Y| has taken a fine |Z| blueprint and improved it, |A| bringing more control and |B| solidity while still providing |C| a platform for some |D| uniquely brilliant forward players.
|E| dir="ltr">There will probably be |F| a stutter or a |G| stumble at some point. |H| They might even concede |J| a goal. This may |K| be a golden period |L| of the handover which |M| wears off soon. But |O| this Liverpool team already |P| feels more like Slots |Q| than Man Utd does |R| Ten Hags.
5) |S| Any insinuation that Slot |U| has simply continued Klopps |V| work without changing much |Y| can be countered by |Z| pointing to Ryan Gravenberch |A| and exhaling lightly from |B| the nose. In an |C| inevitably quite Dutch game |D| of association football, he |E| played with the most |F| courage and conviction.
His |G| interception and driving run |H| from midfield for the |J| first goal in the |K| 35th minute summed up |L| the two strengths he |M| displayed most often at |O| Old Trafford, but Gravenberch |P| took seven minutes to |Q| exert his dominance. Receiving |R| a pass zipped into |S| him by Virgil van |U| Dijk, he left Kobbie |V| Mainoo for dead with |Y| his first touch, sprinted |Z| forward and started the |A| move which ended in |B| Trent Alexander-Arnolds offside goal.
|C| dir="ltr">It was an early |D| let-off and a warning |E| about midfield command which |F| neither Manchester Uniteds manager |G| nor players chose to |H| heed.
6) It |J| helped Gravenberch and his |K| teammates that Casemiro was |L| one of their initial |M| adversaries. It is difficult |O| to nail down a |P| single word which could |Q| sum up both his |R| display here and general |S| performance levels over the |U| past 12 months, because |V| it honestly doesnt feel |Y| like sh*t does it |Z| justice.
This is more |A| existential. This is the |B| Saudi transfer window remains |C| open until Monday but |D| signing him might actually |E| undo all that hard |F| sportswashing work bad.
That |G| message Casemiro sent to |H| his agent when his |J| signing had not quite |K| gone through but Man |L| Utd were being hammered |M| 4-0 by Brentford, about |O| how he will “fix |P| this”, remains hilarious. The |Q| Brazilians role in the |R| first two goals here |S| was catastrophic – as |U| his half-time substitution implied |V| – but that part |Y| about midway through the |Z| first half at 0-0 |A| where he literally just |B| actually gave up by |C| the touchline because Dominik |D| Szoboszlai was pressing him |E| so relentlessly and he |F| could see no passing |G| options was just sad.
|H| dir="ltr">If he plays again |J| this season Ten Hag |K| should be laughed out |L| of whichever stadium is |M| given the rare honour |O| of watching such peculiar |P| performance art. And if |Q| he doesnt play again |R| then Man Utd have |S| about £300,000 a week |U| floating around in their |V| reserves. What a club.
|Y| dir="ltr">
7) And really |Z| that is the pertinent |A| point with Gravenberch, Casemiro |B| and their respective managers. |C| Liverpool didnt get the |D| midfielder Slot craved so |E| he worked around it, |F| found viable solutions and |G| has discovered a way |H| to play a relatively |J| weak hand strongly. Man |K| Utd took so long |L| signing a £50m replacement |M| for a £70m deadweight |O| who was proven not |P| fit for purpose ages |Q| ago that Manuel Ugarte |R| was not eligible to |S| play in this, their |U| third game and second |V| defeat of the season, |Y| and Ten Hag is |Z| already warning it could |A| “months” to integrate him |B| into the team anyway.
|C| dir="ltr">One of those clubs |D| is often derided by |E| its own fan as |F| unambitious. The other remains |G| entirely unserious. These 90 |H| minutes showed which is |J| more preferable.
8) |K| Man Utd had a |L| bright start but once |M| Liverpool found their pressing |O| groove the direction of |P| travel was only headed |Q| one way. And there |R| are many ways in |S| which to present that, |U| including this: the hosts |V| made one solitary pass |Y| in the third minute; |Z| it was intercepted and |A| should have led to |B| a goal, but Virgil |C| van Dijks ball to |D| Diogo Jota was slightly |E| overhit after he read |F| a complacent Bruno Fernandes |G| square pass.
The captain |H| was not alone in |J| falling so carelessly for |K| those traps but it |L| did set the tone |M| somewhat. Liverpool made nine |O| interceptions and the vast |P| majority led to a |Q| scoring chance. The first |R| goal came from a |S| Casemiro pass Gravenberch pounced |U| on; the second and |V| third were a direct |Y| result of Casemiro and |Z| then Mainoo not releasing |A| the ball quickly enough. |B| Liverpool forced all three |C| with their energy.
|D| dir="ltr">9) Lisandro Martinez was |E| culpable on a couple |F| of occasions, being targeted |G| for forced turnovers in |H| his own defensive third, |J| but its alright because |K| he clattered Szoboszlai from |L| behind on the halfway |M| line at 1-0 down |O| and thus is really |P| hard.
Martinez is an |Q| excellent defender when he |R| focuses on defending, his |S| positioning and anticipation for |U| the second goal notwithstanding. |V| The whole Butcher gimmick |Y| really ought to be |Z| retired because it is |A| so humorously and ironically |B| small-time. The closest he |C| got to Luis Diaz |D| all game was when |E| he ushered him off |F| the pitch during a |G| substitution.
10) Diaz |H| was brilliant, taking both |J| of his goals wonderfully |K| and otherwise working the |L| opposition defence into the |M| ground. But for all |O| his apparent development over |P| the summer, there remains |Q| only one ruler of |R| this Liverpool attack.
The |S| Salah future narrative has |U| already become tiresome but |V| it exists for a |Y| reason. The way he |Z| has become an elite |A| creator at 32 with |B| little to no impact |C| on his goalscoring input |D| is remarkable. The cross |E| for the first was |F| basic but the pass |G| for Diazs second was |H| the sort of unconventional |J| delivery Salah has mastered |K| and precious few defenders |L| can predict or counter.
|M| dir="ltr">Even after scoring in |O| his seventh consecutive game |P| at Old Trafford to |Q| settle matters, it was |R| Salah tracking back to |S| dispossess Toby Collyer and |U| launch another counter in |V| the 60th minute. The |Y| post-match quotes about being |Z| “a little surprised” how |A| easy Liverpool found a |B| game which “could have |C| finished five or six” |D| was suitably ruthless.
READ |E| NEXT: Liverpool told to |F| cash in on unhappy |G| star if take-it-or-leave-it offer |H| is not accepted soon
|J| dir="ltr">
11) He wasnt |K| lying either. Almost immediately |L| from kick-off after making |M| it 3-0, Salah should |O| have scored when Martinez |P| lost the ball again |Q| in the middle of |R| his own half. That |S| capacity to capitulate and |U| concede quickfire goals has |V| been a staple of |Y| Ten Hags Man Utd, |Z| particularly in this fixture. |A| It is a collective |B| emotional flaw which must |C| be addressed.
12) |D| Mainoo was robbed by |E| Alexis Mac Allister for |F| the third goal and |G| honestly it isnt tough |H| to see why he |J| might be struggling. The |K| novice breath of fresh |L| air thriving for his |M| country has been saddled |O| with an expensive burden |P| of a partner for |Q| his club and for |R| the second half was |S| simultaneously the youngest and |U| most experienced of a |V| midfield pairing drowning in |Y| a sea of Liverpool |Z| players.
Mainoo is far |A| from the only one |B| lacking support at Man |C| Utd but it is |D| absurd how much they |E| have come to lean |F| on a 19-year-old to |G| carry the entire burden |H| of the most important |J| position on the pitch, |K| and negligent from the |L| manager not to establish |M| and work on an |O| actual midfield structure in |P| which to place him.
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13) It would |R| be fascinating to see |S| what Ten Hag does |U| work on in training, |V| because defending back-post crosses |Y| cannot possibly be on |Z| the agenda.
After the |A| absolute farce of the |B| Brighton winner, quite how |C| Man Utd contrived to |D| find themselves in almost |E| the exact same position |F| in literally their next |G| game is a mystery. |H| Casemiros poor pass did |J| create an overload but |K| why was Noussair Mazraoui |L| so high up, why |M| did no-one cover him |O| at right-back, why did |P| Casemiro not make more |Q| of an effort to |R| help out at centre-half |S| and what force pulled |U| Matthijs de Ligt so |V| far to the left, |Y| leaving Diaz and Szoboszlai |Z| to mark each other |A| as the cross came |B| in?
These are basic |C| organisational issues which plagued |D| the club last season |E| and is already making |F| them look amateurish at |G| the start of this |H| one. No matter what |J| players he selects, a |K| coach should be embarrassed |L| to concede that sort |M| of goal, never mind |O| twice against different opponents |P| in the space of |Q| a week.
14) |R| The Ibrahima Konate and |S| Van Dijk pairing was |U| imperious but hardly overworked. |V| It is impossible to |Y| see the seams in |Z| Rasmus Hojlunds Joshua Zirkzee |A| costume and while the |B| substitution of Alejandro Garnacho |C| after 68 minutes was |D| booed, it was a |E| welcome reminder that he |F| was actually still playing.
|G| dir="ltr">The Argentinean was almost |H| impressively anonymous but the |J| insinuation seemed to be |K| that it should have |L| been Marcus Rashford taken |M| off instead. Yet he |O| created the two best |P| chances, both missed by |Q| Zirkzee, with sublime crosses |R| even as this shadow |S| of his former self.
|U| dir="ltr">Amad, in his 22-minute |V| cameo, was probably the |Y| hosts best player. He |Z| created more chances and |A| had more touches in |B| the opposition penalty area |C| than any teammate, even |D| showing a willingness to |E| actually carry the ball |F| forward. No wonder he |G| was dropped to the |H| bench from the start.
|J| dir="ltr">It is also incredible |K| that he is called |L| upon before unused substitute |M| Antony, whose £82m fee |O| still cannot get him |P| minutes in one of |Q| the leagues most under-performing, |R| uninspired attacks.
15) |S| By the end, Liverpool |U| were actively just taking |V| the p*ss. A flowing |Y| passing move involving Mac |Z| Allister, Gravenberch, Salah and |A| Conor Bradley ended with |B| Szoboszlai being found unmarked |C| in the area. He |D| should have shot but |E| took a touch trying |F| to bait Mazraoui into |G| a slide tackle and |H| the opportunity was gone.
|J| dir="ltr">It prompted some phenomenal |K| wont-somebody-think-of-the-children pearl-clutching fume from |L| Jamie Carragher (“Thats just |M| ridiculous, its unprofessional”) and |O| Gary Neville (“He should |P| be absolutely rollocked by |Q| the rest of his |R| team-mates for that”), when |S| really it was just |U| quite funny and precisely |V| the sort of thing |Y| which should be encouraged |Z| when 3-0 up with |A| ten actual minutes to |B| go at actual Old |C| Trafford.
16) With |D| the tune to Opus |E| Live is Life not |F| quite echoing but certainly |G| resonating around Old Trafford |H| as full-time drew closer, |J| it already feels safe |K| to say that Klopps |L| farewell speech went slightly |M| better than Fergusons.
