Connect with us

European Leagues

MANCHESTER OF DISASTER! Ten Hag Defends Woeful Display Against Liverpool

MANCHESTER OF DISASTER! Ten Hag Defends Woeful Display

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says he is “not Harry Potter”, and is adamant his side have a great chance to lift a trophy this season despite their chastening 3-0 home defeat by Liverpool.

The visitors already had a goal ruled out before Luis Diaz struck twice in seven first-half minutes at Old Trafford.

Mohamed Salah added a third nine minutes after the restart and United were fortunate to escape without a repeat of their 5-0 humiliation in the same fixture in 2021.

It was a bad day for Ten Hag given his starting line-up included six of his signings. His latest, £50.5m Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte, was introduced to the fans before kick-off having been registered after Friday’s 12:00 BST deadline to play in the game.

United are now 14th in the Premier League table, with just three points from their opening three games.

However, Ten Hag refused to accept the negative view of the result, while intimating nobody should expect him to produce magical outcomes.

“It is not like I am Harry Potter,” he said. “You have to acknowledge that.

“For three players it was their first start of the season.

“Manuel Ugarte did not play one minute – he needs to build his fitness. Then we have to build him into the team. I am sure he will contribute to our team. It will take a couple of weeks, maybe even a month. That is the same for a lot of players.”

Ten Hag included striker Joshua Zirkzee in that. The Netherlands forward had a strange game, mixing a lot of aimless passes with getting United’s best chances, one of which he put wide, the other brilliantly saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

Matthijs de Ligt did not look completely comfortable at the back alongside Lisandro Martinez, while England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was exposed too often by Ryan Gravenberch, who excelled in the central positions for the visitors.

Ten Hag became embroiled in an argument with a journalist in his post-match media conference.

The former Ajax coach said he had a “different vision” to the one put forward around his side making the same mistakes for two years, “otherwise we wouldn’t win trophies and beat bigger opponents”.

“I don’t want to talk about positives today,” he said. “This defeat hurts for us and our fans.

“It is the third game of the season. I have had to explain this so many times. We have to build a new team. We will be fine but it is clear we have to improve.

“At the end of the season I am quite confident we will have a big chance to lift another trophy.”

Casemiro’s bad day

Veteran Brazil midfielder Casemiro was at fault for the first two Liverpool goals.

He gave the ball straight to Gravenberch deep in United’s own half for the first, and was nudged off the ball by Diaz too easily for the second.

Ten Hag took the bold decision to replace the former Real Madrid man with 20-year-old Toby Collyer at half-time.

A video emerged on social media which was claimed to show Casemiro leaving Old Trafford early – which Ten Hag rejected.

“He didn’t leave the stadium at half-time,” the manager said. “I met him in the dressing room after the game.

“I took him off because we were 2-0 down against an opponent like Liverpool. We had to take risks because we wanted to bounce back and needed players in midfield who can cover the ground.

“He won everything in his career. I am sure he will keep contributing to our team.”

 

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Mbappe Hat-Trick Dismantles Man City As Real Madrid Hit Last 16

Mbappe Hat-Trick Dismantles Man City As Real Madrid Hit Last 16

Real Madrid have booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League after a convincing 3-0 over Manchester City in the second leg of their play-off round tie at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the final aggregate score being 6-2.

A stunning comeback in Manchester last week ensured that Real Madrid only needed to avoid defeat in the second leg in order to be confirmed in the next round. However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side were never going to settle for this, and they extended their aggregate lead inside the opening four minutes in the Spanish capital. A long ball over the top from Raul Asencio went into the path of Kylian Mbappe, who lobbed over the onrushing Ederson and into the back of the net.

Just beyond the half hour mark, Mbappe got his and Real Madrid’s second of the evening. A wonderful team move ended with Rodrygo Goes playing in the French attacker, and he showed great feet to take the ball away from a couple of Man City defenders before blasting in from close range.

That goal put the tie beyond any doubt, but Real Madrid and Mbappe did not stop there. The 26-year-old would finish off for his second hat-trick of the season on 61 minutes after he curled the ball into the far corner to complete a sensational evening for him and his teammates.

However, it was not a perfect match for Ancelotti’s side as they conceded in the final minute after former Barcelona midfielder Nico Gonzalez scored from close range after Omar Marmoush’s free-kick came back off the crossbar.

The result means that Real Madrid are into the next round, and they will face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 stage of the Champions League. The draw for that round is set to take place later this week.

 

Continue Reading

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

UCL: PSG Whitewash Brest To Set Up Clash With Liverpool or Barcelona

UCL: PSG Whitewash Brest To Stroll Into Last 16

Paris St-Germain roared into the last 16 of the Champions League with a thumping victory over Brest.

Luis Enrique’s side will now face Liverpool or Barcelona with the draw due to take place on Friday, 21 February at 11:00 GMT, in Nyon Switzerland.

Already leading 3-0 from the first leg of their knockout play-off, the hosts again exhibited their superiority over a fellow French side they have now defeated four times this season – scoring 18 times in the process.

Bradley Barcola extended their advantage with a neat near-post effort and his fellow winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tapped in PSG’s second of the evening before the break.

Portugal international Joao Neves also hit the crossbar for the hosts, before his compatriot and midfield partner Vitinha curled a low shot into the right corner from 18 yards just before the hour mark.

From there PSG moved through the gears.

Goncalo Ramos teed up fellow substitute Desire Doue for their fourth, the impressive Nuno Mendes slid in Achraf Hakimi’s teasing ball for a fifth, Ramos’ deft finish brought a sixth and teenager Senny Mayulu rounded off the scoring with four minutes left.

It ensured a miserable night in the French capital for Brest, who only threatened sporadically when Mathias Pereira Lage’s placed effort was cleared off the line by PSG captain Marquinhos and Pierre Lees-Melou hit the post with a curling effort.

BBC

Continue Reading

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Ademola Lookman Trains Fully Ahead Of Champions League Clash

Ademola Lookman Trains Fully Ahead Of Champions League Clash

Atalanta has received a significant boost ahead of their upcoming Champions League clash against Club Brugge, with Nigerian international Ademola Lookman returning to full training on Monday, February 17, per Allnigeriasoccer.

Lookman had been sidelined due to a knee injury sustained just two days before a crucial match against Barcelona.

His recovery and return to group training are expected to enhance Atalanta’s attacking options as they prepare for the upcoming fixture.

Lookman’s return is also a positive development for Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle.

Chelle, who was appointed as the head coach of the Nigeria national football team in January 2025, is keen to have his key players in top form ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The Super Eagles are set to resume their qualifying campaign in March 2025, with matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Lookman’s return to fitness will be closely monitored by Chelle, as the winger’s pace and creativity could be instrumental in Nigeria’s upcoming fixtures.

Atalanta’s coach will however assess Lookman’s fitness to determine his potential involvement in the upcoming Champions League match against Brugge.

Given the importance of the fixture, Lookman’s inclusion could provide a significant advantage, as his attacking prowess has been a key asset for Atalanta this season.

For Atalanta supporters, Lookman’s recovery is great news, and the club’s prospects in the Champions League look much brighter with him back in the fold.

Atalanta is aiming to build on their strong performances this season, and Lookman’s return is crucial as they look to advance further in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

As the match day draws closer, both Lookman and Atalanta are hopeful that the winger can make an impact once again, and fans are excited to see the Nigerian back on the pitch.

With Lookman fully integrated into the squad once more, Atalanta’s attacking threat is renewed, and they are optimistic about their chances in the Champions League.

Allnigeriasoccer

Continue Reading

Trending