Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has made it clear he is “not Harry Potter” but remains confident his side can win silverware this season despite a crushing 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool .
Liverpool, who had already had an early goal disallowed, took control of the game with Luis Diaz scoring twice in seven first-half minutes.
Mohamed Salah added a third shortly after the break, leaving United fans grateful there was no repeat of the 5-0 drubbing by the same opponents in 2021.
The defeat was particularly bitter for Ten Haag, considering six of his own signings were in the starting line-up.
Among them was newly signed £50.5m Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who was introduced to the crowd before the match but was ineligible to play.
United are currently 14th in the Premier League table with just three points from three games.
However, Ten Haag refused to let the defeat dampen his spirits, stressing that no one should expect him to perform miracles overnight.
“It’s not like I’m Harry Potter,” Ten Hag observed. “We have to be realistic. For three of the players, it was their first start of the season.
Manuel Ugarte needs time to build his fitness and integrate into the team. I’m sure it will contribute, but it may take weeks, even a month. The same applies to other players.”
Ten Hag also mentioned striker Joshua Zirkzee, who had a mixed performance – missing two key chances, one of which was brilliantly saved by Liverpool’s Alisson Becker.
Meanwhile, Matthijs de Ligt struggled defensively alongside Lisandro Martinez, and England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was often outmaneuvered by Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch.
In his post-match press conference, Ten Haag clashed with a reporter over criticism of United’s repeated mistakes.
The Dutchman, visibly disappointed, defended his record, saying: “If we made the same mistakes for two years, we wouldn’t be winning trophies and beating bigger rivals.”
Ten Hag also made the bold decision to replace veteran midfielder Casemiro at half-time after the Brazilian was responsible for Liverpool’s first two goals.
A video circulating on social media suggests Casemiro left Old Trafford early, but Ten Hag have dismissed the claim.
“He didn’t leave the field at half-time,” Ten Haag clarified. “I met him in the locker room after the game.
We had to take risks to try to get back into the match. Casemiro has won everything in his career and I’m sure he will continue to be a vital part of our team.”
Despite the setback, Ten Haag remains optimistic about United’s prospects.
“This defeat hurts, but it’s only the third game of the season. We’re building a new team, and while there’s room for improvement, I’m sure we’ll have a great chance to lift a trophy by the end of the season.”
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