Erik ten Hag got it all wrong about Liverpool and Manchester United prediction is looking worse by the week

Liverpool have enjoyed a strong start to the Premier League season while Manchester United have struggled to get going.

Erik ten Hag didn’t take long to endear himself to the Manchester United fans after conducting his first press conference at the end of last season.

Coming into the club amid a period of chaos, the Dutchman was announced as the new long-term appointment to take the reins upon the conclusion of Ralf Rangnick’s unsuccessful interim period in charge.

Arriving on the back of three Eredivisie titles, it became apparent from the get-go Ten Hag was not going to stand for any of the problems that had scarred his predecessors during their ill-fated spells at the helm.

Aiming to stamp his authority immediately, the 53-year-old boldly claimed he could be the manager to put an end to the recent success of bitter rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.

“I admire them both, Manchester City and Liverpool, they play really fantastic football,” he said. “But you will always see that an era can come to an end and I am looking forward to battle with them. I’m sure all the other clubs will want to do that.”

Pressed further on whether the superiority of both clubs could he halted even while Klopp and Guardiola remain in charge of their respective clubs, he added: “I think, yes.”

“The plan is huge, and we only have a short time,” continued the United boss. “First of all we will roll it out to the staff, then the players, and then you will see. What we are doing first is constructing the staff, constructing the squad and constructing a good pre-season plan. We have a strategy, a concept, and we will work on that.

“We at every club think about: ‘What is in the spirit of the club?’ That is what we want to know, but also that is why they appoint me as manager. I have to bring something to the club, a dynamic. If you want to get to the top, you have to demand, and that is what we are going to do.”

Almost 18 months on from these comments, it is safe to say Ten Hag’s vision has fallen flat. If watching City claim a third successive Premier League crown was not bad enough, their misery was compounded by losing to the Sky Blues in the FA Cup final and and being beaten 7-0 at Anfield by Liverpool.

Guiding the Red Devils to a third-placed finish during his debut campaign helped paper over such cracks, though the signs were there to suggest United’s league finish was less impressive than it first appeared. That Fulham were the only top-ten side they managed to beat away from home in the Premier League last term should have served as a clear indication of just what could go wrong this season.

Five games into the 2023/24 campaign and United are once again playing catch-up to the two teams Ten Hag had hopes of toppling. City sit top of the table having won five games out of five, with Liverpool following closely behind on 13 points. The Red Devils, meanwhile, are languishing in 13th place and trail the Reds by seven points and their noisy neighbours by nine. Even at this early stage of the season, aiming to close such margins is already looking a tall order for a team that is engulfed by off-field issues.

For a manager who rightfully gained praise for his no-nonsense approach to players, be it benching Marcus Rashford for a weekend game having been late to a team meeting or showing the exit door to the disruptive Cristiano Ronaldo, Ten Hag’s control over his squad appears to have shifted. A private fallout with Jadon Sancho played out in public has reflected poorly on all concerned and there have been other uncomfortable scenarios to address, such as the treatment of ex-club captain Harry Maguire and serious allegations against Antony and Mason Greenwood.

Ten Hag had every right to believe he could be the man to put an end to a decade of decline at Old Trafford and, who knows, he could come through this challenging period in the coming weeks. What is less certain is how he goes about stopping United’s two fiercest rivals from battling it out for first place once again.

All eras may come to an end, but Liverpool are portraying at present they are not ready for the success experienced during Klopp’s cycle to be over just yet. City remain the favourites for domestic glory and are showing no signs of losing their spark. By contrast, the questions keep on coming over this United team and Ten Hag can’t seem to find the answers.