Slot Schools Ten Hag to leave Man Utd boss nearing Disaster

Arne Slot schools Erik ten Hag – now the Man Utd boss is on the precipice of disaster! Winners and losers as Liverpool run riot at Old Trafford once again. Slot Schools Ten Hag to leave Man Utd boss nearing Disaster

Sunday’s match showcased two Dutch coaches experiencing vastly different fortunes at the helm of England’s top clubs.

Manchester United supporters might have believed they had seen their worst defeats against Liverpool, with the 5-0 loss in 2021 and the 7-0 humiliation last season. However, the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era has shown that things can always take a turn for the worse.

Once again on Sunday, United were overwhelmed by their fierce rivals from down the East Lancashire Road. While the 3-0 scoreline wasn’t as severe as those earlier defeats, the performance mirrored that level of disappointment. Virgil van Dijk remarked that Liverpool could have easily netted five or six goals, and it was hard to argue with him.

Liverpool dominated the match, and the touchline was equally dramatic, with the two Dutch managers presenting contrasting images. Arne Slot appeared completely at ease, stating that the game unfolded just as he had hoped. Despite having less than two months with the squad, Liverpool already resembles a well-oiled machine, solid defensively and terrifyingly effective in attack.

In contrast, United seemed disorganized and out of sync in their third season under Erik ten Hag. To suggest they are still a work in progress would be overly generous. It’s hard not to recall Ralf Rangnick’s harsh evaluation in 2022, where he claimed the club required “surgery of the open heart.”

Rangnick’s candid assessment came just as Ten Hag was appointed as United’s new manager, and nearly two-and-a-half years later, those words still resonate.

Supersports24 analyzes the winners and losers from Old Trafford…

Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool -Slot Schools Ten Hag to leave Man Utd boss nearing Disaster

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WINNER: Liverpool’s flying wingers

United once prided themselves on their wing play, but Liverpool showed them how it’s done on Sunday. Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah were electrifying, and the Red Devils had no response to their breakneck speed and trickery.

Diaz had Noussair Mazraoui tied up in knots from the get-go, skipping past him to set up Trent Alexander-Arnold’s disallowed goal. He then combined with Salah to eventually break the deadlock, making the most of a peach of a cross.

Diaz again demonstrated his new-found love for scoring with an expert finish for his second goal, which was served up by Salah. The Egyptian could not end the game without scoring against United, though, bagging his 15th goal in 16 games against the arch-enemy – and 10th in his last seven visits to Old Trafford – early in the second half.

Salah and Diaz are working up quite the partnership already, notching a combined six goals and four assists in 2024-25, while all seven of Liverpool’s goals this season have had their fingerprints on them.

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LOSER: Casemiro

There was some hope among United fans that Casemiro’s extended summer break had led to a reboot. He came back looking trimmer for pre-season and was impressive in the Community Shield, as well as in the opening Premier League game against Fulham.

The revival, however, is over already. Casemiro was back to his worst here, looking utterly unfit for purpose when facing a truly top team.

The Brazilian misplaced 10 passes in the first half, and his sloppy ball that was cut out by Ryan Gravenberch could not have come at a worse time, as United’s full-backs had committed themselves down the pitch and it was all too easy for Liverpool to break and score. The Brazilian was then too easily felled by Diaz in the build-up to Liverpool’s second goal.

The former Real Madrid star was a liability, and it was no surprise that he was hauled off at half-time, even if it was for Premier League debutant Toby Collyer.

Jamie Carragher, who caused a storm when he urged Casemiro to quit elite football last season, must have been enjoying himself in the commentary box as he gloated: “Two goals from two Casemiro mistakes.”

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WINNER: Manuel Ugarte

United’s latest signing was not registered in time to play on Sunday, but Manuel Ugarte got a taste of the Old Trafford atmosphere when he was presented to the supporters before kick-off. However, he may well have been alarmed by what he saw from the stands and how his new side were ripped apart, but he would also have sensed an opportunity.

He should be guaranteed a place in the starting line-up in United’s next game at Southampton as Casemiro looks to be at his lowest ebb. All the Uruguayan has to do to improve on the hapless Brazilian is keep the ball and be able to keep up with the pace of the game.

His capacity to win the ball cleanly and frequently will also be vital, as Liverpool were able to play their way through United’s midfield time and time again with little resistance.

Unfortunately, Ten Hag suggested Ugarte will need time to bed in and will not be put straight into the starting line-up after the international break. The former Paris Saint-Germain man must try and settle as quickly as he can as his new side clearly need him badly after this humiliation.

Marcus Rashford Manchester United 2024-25 - Slot Schools Ten Hag to leave Man Utd boss nearing Disaster

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LOSER: United’s local heroes

Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both scored against Liverpool last season at Old Trafford, but this was a very different story for United’s homegrown players, who were the team’s second-worst performers behind Casemiro.

Mainoo looked incapable of influencing proceedings, perhaps smarting from the early bang on the head he took. He had the excuse of getting no support from Casemiro and then having to work with the inexperienced Collyer, but it was his mistake which led to Liverpool’s third goal, going to ground after being challenged by Diaz.

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Mainoo’s patchy display was surprising given his usual level, but Rashford’s performance was achingly familiar. He kept misplacing passes, with his only good ball coming when he teed up Joshua Zirkzee, and every time he attempted a run down the left wing, he ran into a Liverpool player.

When Amad Diallo was brought on, many supporters expected to see Rashford come off. The sight of Alejandro Garnacho being replaced instead was, therefore, met with a chorus of boos, which was a telling comment on Rashford’s dismal display.

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WINNER: Arne Slot

United fans probably felt they had picked the wrong Dutchman when they saw Slot grinning on the touchline as his side outplayed their biggest rivals. The former Feyenoord manager has a daunting task in succeeding a figure as iconic as Jurgen Klopp, but he looks utterly at ease in the role, as comfortable as his team look on the pitch.

Slot has managed to maintain the work-rate and speed that Liverpool were renowned for under Klopp, but he has also made big improvements with the defence, and can boast three clean sheets in his first three games.

He also became the first Liverpool manager since Bob Paisley in 1975 to win his first league fixture against United. Paisley went on to win three European Cups with the Reds; Slot sure is in good company.

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LOSER: Erik ten Hag

While Slot was the picture of calm, Ten Hag was agitated, and in his post-match press conference he had a mini-confrontation with a journalist, who had dared to ask whether he was the problem, rather than his players.

“I don’t think so, otherwise you wouldn’t win trophies as we do. I am sorry for you,” spat the United manager. “I think we won after City the most trophies in English football [since his arrival] so I am sorry for you.”

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But the man most people feel sorry for is Ten Hag, who is in a familiar mess at the start of the season. For the third consecutive campaign, United have just three points from their opening three games. Ten Hag pointed to the fact that he is still integrating the new arrivals and that the season is young, but a team of United’s size and stature cannot afford to keep starting campaigns so badly.

Liverpool fans were having the time of their lives in the away end and were chanting ‘Ten Hag’s at the wheel’, a new version of the song they penned for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during their 5-0 win at Old Trafford three years ago. Solskjaer was sacked less than a month later, and it would not be a great surprise if Ten Hag succumbs to the same fate unless things improve quickly.

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