Man Utd have lost two of their first three Premier League matches; United visit Southampton after the international break on September 14; Roy Keane said: "Same old problems. Leopards and spots. United are far too open."
Monday 2 September 2024 13:19, UK
Gary Neville believes Erik ten Hag will stay as Manchester United manager until Christmas at least despite a "sobering" 3-0 defeat to Liverpool which added to the club's woes.
Luis Diaz struck twice in the first half before Mohamed Salah - who set the former up for both of his goals - added a third and the scoreline could have been a lot worse.
United have lost two out of their opening three Premier League matches and currently sit in the bottom half of the table - and Neville believes Ten Hag cannot afford to be in a similar position come the end of the year.
"It's going to be a challenging week or so for Ten Hag, just to get around the fact that there will be some pressure building," said Neville.
"But I think he will get until Christmas. There's no doubt about that. There's no doubt that INEOS and Dan Ashworth the chief executive - who has got a sense of calm about him - the [former Manchester] City chief executive [Omar Berrada] and Sir Dave Brailsford and those people, are not just going to do something stupid.
"Within three or four months, they have made the decision to keep him. They will get four or five months. What they can't be is mid-table come Christmas, but he is going to get a few months, there's no doubt about that."
But fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher countered: "I would be surprised if he is still in charge at the end of the season."
After the game, Neville added: "Liverpool fully deserved their victory, it was a sobering day for Erik ten Hag, his players and for the new ownership sat in the stand en masse, looking at it and thinking whether they're on the right path. That's the question they have to ask in the next few months."
Roy Keane was unimpressed by what he saw from his former side and likened it to their struggles under Ten Hag last season, saying: "Same old problems. Leopards and spots. United are far too open."
Keane added: "The statistics don't tell the story. It was far from an even game. Liverpool were very good and very efficient. They looked stronger and they looked fitter.
"You can try to dress it up a little bit but United were shocking. They were absolutely shocking. Every time Liverpool went forward, they looked like they were going to score.
"There were two mistakes from an experienced player [Casemiro] and then another mistake at the start of the second half. It wasn't good.
"There's been a lot of PR the last few months about plans for the stadium and blah, blah, blah, but in a big game against Liverpool, United didn't turn up.
"For a game like this to be over after an hour, it's hard to accept."
Old Trafford was an arena of frustration for most of the second half, with boos ringing out just after Liverpool's third goal. It started when Arne Slot's side started scoring, with Casemiro - at fault for both of Diaz's strikes - facing criticism from the United faithful.
The home fans also booed Marcus Rashford when he checked back inside instead of taking on Ibrahima Konate in a one-on-one, while Ten Hag's decision to take off Alejandro Garnacho for Amad Diallo was also jeered.
"Manchester United fans don't often boo," said Neville. "They don't often boo the manager, they don't often boo substitutions, they don't often boo players individually. And there's been a couple of times today [where they have].
"They will boo, generally, a performance at half-time when the players are going off if they're losing 2-0.
"But ordinarily they don't take out individuals and a couple of times today, they have. Casemiro in the first half and then obviously referring to Rashford with that boo."
Neville also said "it is getting hard for Manchester United fans to watch" Rashford in his current form after another disappointing display.
Rashford failed to have a shot against Liverpool and had just four touches in the opposition penalty area - half the amount that substitute Amad managed, even though he came on in the 69th minute.
The England international did, however, create two chances against Slot's Reds - the same amount as the rest of United's starters combined.
"He had a one-on-one with Konate and you might not be having a great day, you might not be having a great time - but you've still got to go for it and take the one-on-one on," said Neville.
"And he just turned back. That just tells you where his head's at.
"I'd like to think [he can get back to his best]. It's been going on for 14 months. He scored 30 goals the season before last. I'd like to think he can get his confidence back. It's looking like a struggle for him. The game doesn't look enjoyable right now. And that's sad.
"As it is for seeing Casemiro in the first half, it's sad watching that kid because he has been a joy for Manchester United at times in his career. But it's getting hard work for him. And it's getting hard for Manchester United fans to watch him."
"It was a bad one. When the stadium has around 20,000 fans left in it at the end in a major game like this, it is basically as bad as it can be. The impact of taking Casemiro off will reverberate around the dressing room because he is one of the leaders - a bit like the Harry Maguire situation a year-and-a-half ago when he was hooked.
"It's been a challenging time for United for the past 10 years. Whether you're Antony - an £80m winger - Angel Di Maria - an £80m winger - Sancho who has just left this week, Rashford who has come through the ranks who struggled in the second half and the fans are onto him.
"Every manager who has come to this club in that time has struggled and there's a feeling today of whether we're going to go through the same thing again but it's a time for a bit of calm.
"The international break comes at a good time for United but Erik ten Hag is going to have to get the club into a position of challenging for the Champions League around Christmas otherwise he's going to be in trouble and he knows that.
"He's been influenced to change his team and his staff in the summer as he's brought two new coaches in. That isn't always ideal as there is new messaging coming in. There's a lot of change at the club so there was going to be a bit of pain along the way in interfering with the Glazer ownership.
"We're seeing that today and it's not going to change quickly. It's a sobering day but one that requires some calm."
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag told Sky Sports:
"We made mistakes and they were very clinical in finishing. They did very well. I don't argue this [that the game was level apart from the goals]. It's clear Liverpool deserved it. We have to be humble, take this and improve our game.
"I don't think you are right [that it was the sign of last season]. I saw the xG which we conceded, we didn't concede so many goals. I don't have the feeling we are in the same pattern [as last season], because I didn't see it.
"It was sometimes open and we took risks. I have seen some good things, but I don't want to talk about this after a defeat from 3-0 against Liverpool. Well done Liverpool, all the compliments. We have to be humble and improve our team.
"I know there are many games to play and I know where we will be at the end of the season. Many games, many leagues and we will go for trophies. That will stand.
"In the two years, we took two prizes [trophies]. At the end of the season, we will see where we are."
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher:
"I don't think anything is going to change in terms of the football [at Man Utd].
"I have seen this before at Liverpool. Go back before Klopp came in, when there was talk of Brendan Rodgers losing his job after one season.
"They weren't sure what to do, FSG [Liverpool's ownership], and they kept him and Rodgers changed his staff.
"You expect something different, but the manager is the main man. Rodgers was gone in October. Ten Hag said in his interview 'we will see where we are at the end of the season'.
"In Jurgen Klopp's third season [at Liverpool], they were in a Champions League final and you could see something building going forward. I would be surprised if he is still there at the end of the season.
"Man Utd are one of the biggest clubs in the world. Would Real Madrid or Bayern Munich accept being sixth in their league? We are saying eighth - that is where we are with Man Utd right now."
Carragher rained platitudes down on Slot, who became the first Liverpool manager to win their debut visit at Old Trafford since before the Second World War as the Reds continued their perfect start to his reign.
The former Liverpool captain said the way Slot had passed his first big test in the job would raise the belief levels in his new squad - and that it may already be time to re-assess whether they could be title contenders this season.
"Old Trafford has historically been a tough place to go, but Liverpool have enjoyed themselves," he told Super Sunday. "What this does is give real belief for the supporters and players, the majority of whom have won everything you can possibly win, in a manager and his new ideas going forward.
"Maybe this team is closer to challenging for the title than many people think. I say this a lot, but coming here with my experiences of coming here as a player, and even coming here and watching Jurgen Klopp's teams, who were fantastic.
"It still didn't always go their way, but this man has come in, with slightly different ideas from his predecessor, and won so comfortably at Old Trafford."
Neville called the result a "monumental" day for Slot, and echoed Carragher's thoughts about the influence he has already exerted on a squad that had spent so long working under Jurgen Klopp's methods.
"It's a monumental day for Arne Slot," he said. "When you think about the job, forget convincing fans you can come here and replace Jurgen Klopp, but convincing the group of players who have had seven or eight years under a great manager.
"They've got to listen to someone different, and we know the challenge of that from clubs like Man Utd and Arsenal when Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger left, it's been a big problem.
"This will be a big moment for him in establishing his foundations, and his message, making the players believe in him."
