Erik ten Hag would have been under no illusions as to the size of the task facing him at Old Trafford when he took the job in May, but the reality of the situation has become even more apparent to the 52-year-old in the early stages of his reign as Red Devils boss.
Man United opened their 2022-23 Premier League campaign with a 2-1 home defeat to Brighton on August 7 before suffering a shock 4-0 defeat at Brentford last weekend, with all of the home side’s goals coming in the first half of the contest.
The two defeats, coupled with the already-poor goal difference, has left the Red Devils at the bottom of the division, and another loss on Monday evening would lead to more pressure on Ten Hag, who has been tasked with helping to rebuild arguably the biggest football club on the planet.
The team’s summer transfer business thus far has been modest at best, bringing in Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez, but a deal for Casemiro has now been agreed, and the club are believed to be working on another two or three additions before the end of the transfer window, including Ajax’s Antony.
Not too much can be read into the league table at this stage of the campaign, but a win over Liverpool, who only have two points from their first two matches, would take the 20-time English champions above their rivals in the division and potentially act as a springboard to go on a strong run.
Man United will finish August away to Southampton before travelling to Leicester City at the start of September, three days before a huge fixture against Arsenal at Old Trafford; the Gunners have shown huge improvement early in the season, while Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have suggested that they will once again be up there when it comes to challenging for the top four this season.
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The Red Devils finished sixth last season, 13 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, which is an indication of the turnaround that needs to occur for the club to return to the Champions League spots; Casemiro’s arrival is a huge step in the right direction, but more signings are needed before the end of the window.
Man United were embarrassed by Liverpool in their two Premier League games last season, suffering a 5-0 loss at Old Trafford and 4-0 defeat at Anfield; Jurgen Klopp’s side have actually won each of their last three league meetings, with the Red Devils not beating their rivals in England’s top flight since March 2018.
The Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga continues to dominate the headlines, and it will be fascinating to see whether the Portugal international is again in the starting lineup for this match; the fixture could represent his final game for Man United at Old Trafford, with an exit before the end of the month still a huge possibility.
