Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag emphasized that he is “not Harry Potter” as he defended his team following a 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool. Despite the loss, Ten Hag remains confident that Manchester United can still secure a trophy this season.
Liverpool’s Luis Diaz scored twice within seven minutes during the first half at Old Trafford, following an earlier goal that was disallowed. Mohamed Salah added a third goal shortly after the second half began, and United narrowly avoided a repeat of their 5-0 defeat in the same fixture in 2021.
The match marked a challenging day for Ten Hag, whose starting lineup included six of his signings. Among them was Manuel Ugarte, a £50.5 million midfielder from Uruguay, who was introduced to the fans before the match but was ineligible to play, having been registered after Friday’s 12:00 BST deadline.
With only three points from their opening three games, United currently sits 14th in the Premier League table. Despite the negative result, Ten Hag rejected the notion that he could deliver instant results, stating, “It is not like I am Harry Potter.”
The manager pointed out that three of his players were making their first starts of the season and that Ugarte, who has yet to play a minute, would need time to build fitness and integrate into the team. Ten Hag expressed confidence in Ugarte’s eventual contribution, stating it could take “a couple of weeks, maybe even a month.”
Ten Hag also addressed the performances of other players, including striker Joshua Zirkzee, who had a mixed game with both missed opportunities and a shot saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Matthijs de Ligt, paired with Lisandro Martinez in defense, appeared uneasy, while midfielder Kobbie Mainoo struggled against Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch.
During the post-match media conference, Ten Hag clashed with a journalist over the suggestion that his team was repeating mistakes from previous seasons. The former Ajax coach responded by saying he had a “different vision” and cited past successes, arguing that his team wouldn’t have won trophies or defeated top opponents if they were continually making the same errors.
Ten Hag acknowledged the impact of the defeat, stating, “I don’t want to talk about positives today. This defeat hurts for us and our fans.” However, he reiterated his belief that United could still compete for silverware, saying, “At the end of the season, I am quite confident we will have a big chance to lift another trophy.”
Veteran Brazilian midfielder Casemiro had a particularly difficult match, being at fault for Liverpool’s first two goals. Casemiro lost possession to Gravenberch deep in United’s half for the first goal and was outmuscled by Diaz for the second. Ten Hag substituted Casemiro at halftime, bringing on 20-year-old Toby Collyer in his place.
A video circulating on social media claimed to show Casemiro leaving Old Trafford early, but Ten Hag denied this, stating, “He didn’t leave the stadium at half-time. I met him in the dressing room after the game.”
The manager explained the decision to substitute Casemiro, saying, “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 expressed confidence in Casemiro’s ability to continue contributing to the team, highlighting his successful career.
