Manchester United were humbled 7-0 by Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, their heaviest Premier League defeat and joint-worst defeat in club history.
Manager Erik ten Hag slammed Manchester United for an “unacceptable” and “unprofessional” performance as Liverpool defeated his side by a joint club-record margin.
United came into the game on the back of lifting their first trophy since 2017 last weekend – the EFL Cup, and with hopes of spoiling the title race, making their dismal performance all the more remarkable.
The dutch professional football coach believes his team will bounce back, citing their recovery from earlier humblings at Manchester City and Brentford, losing 6-3 at the Etihad and 4-0 at the Gtech community stadium earlier in the season.
“I think we played a decent first half. One mistake in organisation just before half-time. Second-half it was just not us. It was not our standards. We didn’t play as a team. It was unprofessional. Yes [I am angry]. Definitely,” Ten Hag told BBC Sport.
“I am surprised because I have seen the last weeks and months, this team is resilient and has a winning attitude. Second-half we didn’t have a winning attitude at all. We didn’t stick to the plan and we didn’t do our jobs.”
“We didn’t track back and it was really unprofessional. We have seen in the past we can bounce back. After Brentford, after Manchester City. This is definitely a strong setback and is unacceptable. I’m really disappointed and angry about it.”
“It is a reality check. We have to take this strong”, he said.
Club assistant captain Bruno Fernandes reiterated his manager’s words, admitting the disappointing performance of himself and his teammates while re-assuring angry fans of their concerted efforts to recover from the defeat.
