Old Trafford witnessed another memorable night as Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United claimed their first victory of the season by an impressive 2-1 display against the might Liverpool. Goals from Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were enough to see them over the line, despite Mo Salah’s consolation in the 81st minute.
Prior to kick-off, Ten Hag made two brave calls in leaving out talisman Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire and went with the England duo of Rashford and Sancho, and it worked wonders, as the Reds were not able to cope with the pace of the two forwards.
In the post-match interview, the Dutchman was delighted with the team’s attitude and desire to win the match.
“We can talk about technical but it’s all about attitude. Now you see we bring the attitude. There was communication, there was a fighting spirit and especially there was a team, and you can see what they can achieve. Because they can fucking play good football.”
Erik ten Hag: The Guardian
As this was an interview on Sky Sports Monday Night Football, he did apologize for the choice of language used. But you can clearly see how much emotion came out of the team through their performance last night.
Prior to kick-off, Old Trafford was surrounded by some angry United fans, who were targetting the Glazer Family for not running the club properly.
Amongst the crowd, were banners saying ‘United for $ale’, which signified that enough was enough, and they either wanted the owners to spend more on the club, or leave.
Hence it was vitally important that Ten Hag’s men put in a performance and make a statement not just to the fans and the club, but for the rest of the season, which is exactly what they did, against a lacklustre Liverpool.
Casemiro: A New Ray of Hope
Another piece of good news for the club was the signing of Brazillian midfielder, Casemiro from Real Madrid, who agreed on a three-year deal to play at Old Trafford. The 38-year-old was a seasonal winner at the Spanish giants, winning three Champions League titles and the La Liga title three times, the last being in 2019-20.
“The opportunity to start a new challenge at Manchester United and in the Premier League is extremely exciting. “I have worked with many great managers in my career and, having met with Erik and heard his ideas, I can’t wait to work closely with him, his staff and my new team-mates in the coming years. “I’m ending one beautiful journey in Madrid while starting another in Manchester as determined as ever to win football matches, win trophies and make our fans proud by bringing success to this great club. “Everybody knows the history of Manchester United, the significance of the club around the world and what it means to its supporters. To represent United is an honour and I am ready to give everything to help the team achieve our ambitions.”
Casemiro: BBC Sport
With the Devils bringing Casemiro to the club, this puts fellow Brazillian teammate Fred’s future at the club in doubt.
Former United defender Gary Neville also had his queries with the Real Madrid midfielder.
“I have to say he’ll do well for the club for a couple of years, Casemiro, but someone in two years time is going to pick up a player beyond their best years for £20m that they can’t shift. That might be Erik ten Hag, it might be a new manager, it might be new owners, so there is a large element of desperation with the signing because a five-year contract for a 30-year-old shouldn’t happen.”
Gary Neville: Manchester Evening News
United’s next two fixtures are away to Southampton and Leicester City, before their next big six matches at home to Arsenal.
Can Ten Hag be the one to bring glory back to Old Trafford?
Find out on World in Sport.
