Man Utd were a shambles and unforgivable against Liverpool… Wout Weghorst is not the answer after Ronaldo’s departure

This was a total and utter embarrassment for Manchester United.

Shambles was the word that was going around and it didn’t seem strong enough.

9

9

With all the progress made under Erik ten Hag, it is unforgivable under his supervision.

Where on earth did this achievement come from?

Considering the manager said how looking forward to it.

How his team would face the hostile atmosphere.

“I know these players, my squad, my team will be ready to go there and fight and go there with confidence,” he said.

Dispute? They crumbled. That was as bad as anything from last season.

Ten Hag has repeatedly emphasized that the levels cannot go down.

It was often thought that he was being too hard on his team when he was holed to win.

Maybe he sensed this might be coming.

9

9

Sir Alex Ferguson always stressed that games like this were so big because of the fierce historical rivalry etched in English football and English football fans.

City fans are still, and always will be, singing about the 6-1 win under Roberto Mancini at Old Trafford.

Liverpool fans will forever remind their hated rivals.

No matter what happened before, these encounters, these great encounters, remain finals, individual games, goal scores and events that go down in history.

There has been a lot of praise for Manchester United this season, and rightly so.

Ten Hag has made United a team again.

A club that had become a figure of derision was once again feared.

There was even talk of an unprecedented quadruple.

Well, make three of a kind if you already have one in your pocket.

Talk of title tilt was always imaginative, even when the math told you it was possible.

9

9

But spirit, will and dynamism always brought the team this far.

And there had been signs that this was coming.

They weren’t brilliant at Wembley when they won the Carabao Cup.

In fact, Newcastle were in control for 20 minutes of the second half.

West Ham were the much better team for much of their FA Cup fifth round clash last midweek.

Manchester United emerged 3-1 winners because Ten Hag convinced their players.

But this is a team that is not yet what is ultimately needed.

They’ve lost away to Arsenal, Manchester City and now Liverpool.

Despite Marcus Rashford’s incredible form, they’re missing an absolute number nine at the top of their game.

A club like Manchester United should never be in such a position.

Yes, recruitment has been good this summer but that was a department that needed to be addressed given the obvious issues with Cristiano Ronaldo.

9

United have scored fewer goals than Brighton in the league this season, 18 fewer than leaders Arsenal and 25 fewer than neighbors Manchester City.

A player like Wout Weghorst is not the answer when Ronaldo has been sacked.

It was right that he left, there is no doubt about that.

His presence proved toxic and the team on the whole have undoubtedly been better since his departure.

But let’s not forget that this was the club’s top scorer last season.

When this club was at its peak there were four goalscorers in Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Ole Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham.

Now it’s just Rashford, whose best position isn’t even through the middle but to the left of a three behind. Well, Weghorst, as it proves.

At Anfield Rashford was ousted from the game and Weghorst scared no one.

9

Ten Hag has been talking to his team a lot lately.

But last Wednesday against West Ham showed how changes to this team see the set piece drop.

He had to get Rashford, Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez to salvage that situation.

The fact that he changed so many games with his substitutions suggests that the starting eleven was not always enough.

FREE BETS AND SIGN UP OFFERS – THE BEST DEALS FOR NEW CUSTOMERS

In a tight schedule, players like Bruno Fernandes and Rashford have been relied on.

At Anfield, Fernandes returned to his worst anger and even looked like he might want to be pulled off at some point.

What happened to Luke Shaw?

Where was the Casemiro who dominated the games and was even called the best signing since Eric Cantona on the morning of the game?

United must try to push that aside. Ten Hag will be justifiably angry.

But those ninety minutes shouldn’t undo all the good work done under him.

9

Thursday’s game against Real Betis has to be the day they get back on track.

The FA Cup is still a trophy to win and they are favorites for the Europa League.

But that stain on their record in this game will never go away, ever.