Erik ten Hag reveals what pleased him despite 0-3 defeat against Liverpool, it’s a building block

Manchester United faced a clinical Liverpool side in their last pre-season game before the Community Shield curtain-raiser against Manchester City.

The 0-3 loss was severe, exacerbated by numerous injuries during the match, potentially leaving Erik ten Hag scrambling for solutions. However, despite the defeat, the manager highlighted some positives in his post-match comments.

Erik ten Hag on Liverpool defeat

United were defeated 0-3, but the scoreline didn’t fully reflect the overall trend of the game. The team created numerous chances but was extremely wasteful.

Liverpool, in contrast, scored three goals from just five shots on target and generally created fewer chances than the Red Devils.

Ten Hag emphasized the positives after the match, stating that he would be more concerned if the team wasn’t creating opportunities, as the wastefulness can be attributed to the toll the tour has taken on the squad.

He said: “Today we created many chances and I would be concerned if we didn’t create chances. I’m pleased with the way we created chances out of open play but also from good pressing situations and good counter-pressing situations. I think in the end it’s like fatigue. We have been here for 12 or 13 days and in the end, it was a tough game and maybe you miss the freshness and don’t have the power to be clinical.”

Building block or false dawn?

Ten Hag was often criticized last season for his comments after losses, which seemed disconnected from the reality on the pitch.

However, these comments after the Liverpool match hold more truth, as the team genuinely looked dangerous and pressed cohesively.

The fatigue factor is unlikely to resonate much with the fans, especially when extreme precautions are being taken with injuries, four of which occurred in the game.

Still, the new game model implemented by the manager and his revamped coaching staff has yielded positive results so far, with United appearing as a refreshed team that has moved past last season’s confusing playing style.

Of course, it remains to be seen how this translates to competitive fixtures and whether the squad can stay fit to implement this model.

But for now, the performances have been better than the results, which is a preferable situation since performance and results tend to align in the long run.