Manchester United vs Liverpool has increasingly become a one-sided fixture in recent years, with United winning just one of their last 12 meetings in the league.
However, with Arne Slot in the dugout this time, the hope was that the uncertainty factor could see Manchester United start to overhaul that record.
So much for that, as Liverpool ran out 3-0 winners at Old Trafford and while the man in the opposition dugout was new, the result wasn’t.
It is why it was so surprising to read Gary Neville‘s assessment of the two squads before the game, at the start of the league season.
Gary Neville’s comment backfires badly
It was near the start of the season on Monday Night Football that Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville were comparing the two squads.
While the general theme was that Liverpool will finish above United, Neville was bullish about Erik ten Hag‘s side being better than Liverpool in one key area.
Neville claimed United had a better midfield than their rivals, saying that missing out on Martin Zubimendi makes United’s midfield better than theirs.
He claimed he’d tip his hat off to them if he turned out to be incorrect and bullishly asked Liverpool’s crop of midfielders to “prove me wrong”.
Well, considering the midfield, or in United’s case, a lack of midfield was the cause of the defeat, Ten Hag’s side not only let him down but did it in an extremely poetic fashion. giving the chance to Carragher to annoy Neville on commentary.
Ten Hag’s persistent problem
No matter how much Ten Hag tries to defend his setup from scrutiny, the proof is in the pudding which is clear for all to see.
United got dragged into an end-to-end game again as they did last season, only this time Liverpool were actually clinical and not wasteful.
Individual mistakes, lead by Casemiro, did not help, but a functional team masks the flaws of the players, accentuates their strengths, and covers for each others’ mistakes.
Against Liverpool, the midfield looked like it could be bypassed with a simple one-two or a high turnover.
That is simply not something sustainable for a team with the hopes of winning trophies consistently and challenging for the league eventually.
It is why United have become a “cup team” where they can plan and get themselves up for a one-off game but their system just won’t allow them to dominate and win regularly.
Neville and Carragher will move on to the next viral line or a bit of commentary, but Ten Hag has to stick with it and devise a solution that has become chronic at Old Trafford.
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