Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has stated he is “not Harry Potter” and insists that his team still has a strong chance of winning a trophy this season, despite their heavy 3-0 defeat at home to Liverpool.
Before Luis Diaz scored twice within seven minutes in the first half at Old Trafford, Liverpool had an earlier goal disallowed.
Mohamed Salah added a third goal nine minutes into the second half, and United were fortunate to avoid a repeat of their 5-0 defeat from the same fixture in 2021.
It was a tough day for Ten Hag, especially since his starting lineup included six of his new signings.
His most recent acquisition, £50.5m Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte, was introduced to the crowd before the match, though he was registered too late to participate.
Ugarte didn’t play and needs to build up his fitness before he can integrate into the team.
“I’m confident he’ll make a contribution,” Ten Hag said, noting it might take a few weeks or even a month for him and other new players to settle.
Currently, United are 14th in the Premier League, having earned only three points from their first three games.
Despite the setback, Ten Hag dismissed the pessimistic view of the result, suggesting that no one should expect instant miracles from him.
“It’s not as if I’m Harry Potter,” he remarked. “You need to recognize that.”
He noted that it was the first start of the season for three players, including striker Joshua Zirkzee, who had a mixed performance with several inaccurate passes but also some key opportunities, one of which was saved by Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Matthijs de Ligt seemed uneasy alongside Lisandro Martinez in defense, while England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo struggled against Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch.
During the post-match press conference, Ten Hag engaged in a heated exchange with a journalist, defending his approach against criticisms of repeated mistakes over the past two years. He emphasized that his goal is to achieve success and win trophies, not to focus on the positives of a challenging situation.
“It’s the third game of the season,” he explained. “We are in the process of building a new team. We will be fine, but we must improve.”
Ten Hag remains optimistic about their chances of winning a trophy by the end of the season.
In the match, veteran midfielder Casemiro made mistakes leading to the first two Liverpool goals, giving away the ball for the first and being easily outmaneuvered for the second.
Ten Hag made the decision to substitute Casemiro with 20-year-old Toby Collyer at halftime. A video circulating online purportedly showed Casemiro leaving the stadium early, but Ten Hag denied this, stating that he met Casemiro in the dressing room after the game.
“I substituted him because we were 2-0 down and needed to take risks,” Ten Hag said. “We needed players who could cover more ground in midfield. Casemiro has had a successful career and will continue to be a valuable asset to the team.”
