John Aldridge claims Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp showed Manchester United counterpart Erik ten Hag how to manage
Football pundit John Aldridge thinks Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp showed Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag how to manage. United suffered their seventh loss in all competitions against Manchester City in the Premier League game at Old Trafford.
Arch-rival Liverpool revamped their midfield during the summer and they are once again looking like one of the title contenders. The Merseyside giants had a terrible season as they failed to qualify for the Champions League spot.
Ten Hag’s first season with the Red Devils was promising as he achieved the Champions League qualification. Furthermore, the Dutchman ended a six-year trophy draught for United as he guided the team to the Carabao Cup win.
Aldridge wrote in the Liverpool Echo column that Klopp has schooled Ten Hag after the latter’s “all eras end” comment. He wrote:
“Erik Ten Hag’s honeymoon period is well and truly over. He famously claimed during his opening press conference that “all eras come to an end. Jurgen Klopp has shown him how to manage. Klopp has transformed Liverpool when we looked down and out last season and people were saying his time was up and a fresh face was needed. Ten Hag has not come close to rebuilding United, they’ve actually gone backwards again.”
Ten Hag’s infamous comment came at the moment he arrived at Old Trafford after a successful tenure at Ajax. The Dutchman focused on fortifying his defence first and relied on counter-attacking football.
United forward Marcus Rashford was the prime outlet for the Red Devils to produce goals last season. However, the England international has failed to carry his last season’s form into the current season.
Many fans and football pundits expressed surprise at the Red Devils’ struggle for form and the evident on-field problems. Injury issues, particularly in the left-back department, have further complicated the season.
Klopp managed to completely change the style of play and recreate a cohesive and strong squad with his limited resources. However, the German is working in a more stable environment with a strong recruitment system and hierarchy.
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Ten Hag deserves more time to rectify the problems United has faced in the current season. Nevertheless, the Dutchman’s team is looking clueless in attack and very vulnerable in defence.
When Ten Hag implemented an adventurous style of play, United left the backline exposed with spaces. At the same time, when the Red Devils applied a cautious approach like against the Citizens, they barely managed to control the game and cause any threat.
