Liverpool fans are probably rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of facing an out-of-sorts Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.
As many would have probably expected, Manchester United were booted out of the Champions League and Europe altogether following their tame 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
After the game, Erik ten Hag, who now has to plan for an almighty showdown with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, was pretty upbeat despite his side only having one shot on target in a must-win game.
The under-fire Manchester United manager thinks his team produced a ‘very good’ performance and they ‘didn’t deserve to lose’, as he told TNT Sports.
But Jamie Carragher thinks Erik ten Hag is ‘clutching at straws’ and trying to instil some false confidence in his players ahead of the Liverpool game, as he told CBS Sports on Paramount+ (12/12/23 at 10:40 pm).
The issue for Manchester United is that Bayern, who were already qualified, turned up at Old Trafford and performed like it was a training game.
So, this might be a case of Erik ten Hag, because it’s Liverpool coming up, trying to paper over some serious cracks.
Erik ten Hag ahead of the Liverpool game
“You are playing one of the top teams in Europe,” said Carragher. “You are missing injured players, so I think it’s almost a case of, because you haven’t been beaten 3 or 4 nil, 1-0 actually feels okay.
“He is probably watching the game thinking ‘okay, we are still in this game’ and it’s almost like it’s a slight feel-good factor.
“But, because you lose 3-0 to Bournemouth and you are now playing one of the giants of European football and you only lose 1-0. He is trying to take something from it to then get to Sunday, because I am sure that will be the message tomorrow when he sees the players. ‘That wasn’t all bad. You are playing one of the top teams in Europe. It was 1-0. Anything could have happened. Right, we have to go to Anfield now and try to produce some sort of performance or result’.
“I just think that’s just a manager trying to clutch at straws.”
Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United
That was the scoreline last season at Anfield.
Given how both teams are performing this season, don’t bet against Jurgen Klopp’s side dishing out yet another beating to their rivals.
What makes matters worse for Manchester United is that Liverpool are sitting top of the Premier League table.
And come Sunday, they will want to maintain that spot, so there will be an extra boost of energy for the team and the fans.
Not forgetting that the Reds, who are in Europa League action on Thursday, have already qualified, so Klopp can send out his youngsters to Belgium to face Union Saint Gilloise.
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