‘He needs to leave my Club with immediate effect I don’t want to See him in Old Trafford Sir Jim Ratcliffe has Sack Erik Ten Hag this morning after a shocking defeat to Liverpool.
After a dismal season opener, Erik ten Hag was under more pressure after Manchester United’s 3-0 loss to Liverpool at Old Trafford.
As United prepares for the September international break, they have lost two of their first three Premier League games. Ten Hag, who just managed to hang onto his job this summer, is now under pressure again.
Luis Diaz gave Liverpool the lead with a brace in the first half, and Mohamed Salah added a third goal in the second half to complete a comfortable win over a very dismal United.
Since Casemiro was at fault for both of Diaz’s goals, the team has been scrutinizing his position more since the addition of Manuel Ugarte. Toby Collyer substituted Casemiro at halftime.
Ratcliffe proved right.
It was the night before Casemiro’s on-field unveiling before to kickoff that United defeated Liverpool in the third encounter in Ten Hag’s inaugural season. A little more than two weeks later, the Brazilian was still waiting in the locker room for his successor to get the same procedure.
An afternoon when they wanted to make the Scousers cry, as the Stretford’s End homage to Diego Forlan used to say, Manuel Ugarte’s unveiling put Old Trafford in a festive atmosphere, and they would have reviled in seeing their new Uruguayan. Regretfully, any tears shed would have been for Casemiro’s professional football career coming to an end. The transfer deadline for the Saudi Pro League shuts on Monday, but the Brazilian barely managed to make himself appear like a bargain at £300,000 per week.
Despite making it through the season’s first two Premier League games, he did had his pocket taken against Brighton. He was mercilessly exposed in a fifty-minute first half against Liverpool. For Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner whose game is regressing at an alarming rate, it was 49 too long.
For Diaz’s first goal, he handed over the ball, and for his second, Diaz pickpocketed him once again. The way he passed was incorrect, he was unable to cover enough ground to compensate for the midfield’s lack of movement and overall finished appearance at this point. It was revealing that a 20-year-old who had played only 30 minutes of senior football took his position.
Now that Uruguay is on vacation, United will be hoping Ugarte gets some playing time and is prepared to take on Southampton. It is not conceivable to accept starting Casemiro in a holding midfield position again at this time.
Although his spectacular debut season brought praise for the £60 million contract he signed from Real Madrid, when he reviewed the books prior to his investment, Sir Jim Ratcliffe was already beginning to doubt the worth of that type of expenditure on a player in his 30s. The vindication would barely have been worth it Sunday afternoon as he sat in the directors’ box.
The influence of Zirkzee
Joshua Zirkzee started his United career off to the ideal start against Fulham, but this served as a reminder that he still possesses raw potential even after moving up to the starting lineup against Liverpool.
Zirkzee’s work rate boosted Old Trafford, and he pushed Alisson into a few saves in the second half. However, there were also times when he threw the ball away, usually by choosing the incorrect play as an assault was building. He will get better for afternoons like this, but United’s attack could use a bit more finesse. This game mostly required brutality in the penalty area, and United sorely lacked it.
Zirkzee has a different style of play than Rasmus Hojlund, yet he is at a comparable professional position. He had comparable results at Bologna and Atalanta to Hojlund. He is a talented player who is currently developing his elite level expertise. When healthy, Hojlund most likely made his debut for Manchester United. It is United’s desire that Zirkzee has a comparable learning curve.
The impact of Mount
When asked before of the game who would press in Mason Mount’s absence, Ten Hag responded simply. “Bruno and Josh,” was the natural counterpunch, considering that Zirkzee had replaced Mount in the forced move.
However, the pressure was not quite as strong and aggressive as it had been against Brighton and Fulham, whether or not it was a calculated plan. By sitting back, Zirkzee and Bruno Fernandes would restrict passing lanes and give the ball to the defenders. That’s a mistake when your back four contains two superb passers of the ball in Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.