Was this the liberation blow for Manchester United? At the energetic Old Trafford, the record champions beat their arch-rivals Liverpool – and deservedly so. Erik ten Hag even embarrasses one presenter afterwards.
Sky Sports presenter Dave Jones had to apologise to viewers for the choice of language. “They can fucking play good football,” ten Hag had opined of his team’s display in their 2-1 win over Liverpool FC, their first against their arch-rivals since March 2018.If you’ll pardon the expression, no one had said that about a Manchester United team for quite some time.
After a performance that was subterranean in all respects in the 4-0 defeat at Brentford, United were unrecognisable at Old Trafford on Monday night, performing as if they had changed. “I’m completely stunned, I wouldn’t have thought that was possible,” was not only TV pundit Gary Neville enthusiastic. What explanation did ten Hag have? “We can talk about tactics, but it’s all about attitude. There was communication, fighting spirit – and then you see what you can achieve. “
More than twice as many sprints as Brentford – The spark is spreading to the fans
A measly 95.6 kilometres had been run by United as a team in their display at Brentford, compared to 113.8 against Liverpool. Added to that, there were more than twice as many sprints (155) as in the previous game (65). The spark spread to the fans, who celebrated every straddle, every clearance and formed a palpable unity with the team as they had not done for some time. The players, too, especially the strong Lisandro Martinez, kept pushing each other after saves.
“I wanted a different approach, a different attitude and that’s what they brought to the field today,” praised ten Hag, but also stressed: “That was just a start. We still have to play much more calmly and be more dangerous. But perform as a team and have a good spirit: We saw that today. “
All the same against a Liverpool team that was completely out of sorts on several occasions, especially in defence. Iconic how James Milner went after defender Virgil van Dijk after Jadon Sancho conceded the first goal. “Liverpool were absolutely shocking defensively,” Reds legend Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports. The visitors were plagued by numerous absences. However, Jürgen Klopp’s choice of Milner over Fabinho in midfield caused some surprise. In hindsight, it was certainly not a good decision.
For ManUnited, the performance could be a turning point after a disastrous start, partly because it may have breathed new confidence into attacking talents such as Sancho and Marcus Rashford (first competitive goal in seven months). “We have to bring that in every game, not just against Liverpool,” knows ten Hag, though, whose team must prove at Southampton FC on Saturday that Monday’s win was more than a flash in the pan.
Maguire and Ronaldo on the bench: Ten Hag’s measures are working
The Dutchman proved he is not afraid to make big decisions on Monday when captain Harry Maguire, international Luke Shaw and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo found themselves on the bench. His measures paid off.
In the centre of defence, Raphael Varane played strongly alongside the outstanding Martinez, Tyrell Malacia did a fine job on the left and Anthony Elanga, who replaced Ronaldo in the starting line-up, shone with a shot against the post and an assist. The hard-working Bruno Fernandes, with the captain’s armband on his arm, also acted like a real leader.
Casemiro, who was officially introduced as a newcomer before the game and watched the success from the stands, is also expected to be a leader. Further transfers are expected to go through before the end of the transfer period.
Protests against the Glazers continue
By the way, the liberation blow against Liverpool will not mask the tensions between fans and club owners. Before the game, thousands of United fans had taken part in a protest march, which this time was peaceful. In the stadium, “We want Glazers out” chants could be heard loudly again and again, especially during Casemiro’s introduction and after the United goals.