WATCH: Ten Hag refuses to ‘play Harry Potter’ as Liverpool hand Manchester United a 3-0 defeat | The Express Tribune
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has made it clear he’s “not Harry Potter” but remains confident his squad can secure silverware this season, despite a crushing 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool.
Liverpool, who already had an early goal disallowed, took control of the match with Luis Diaz netting twice within seven first-half minutes.
Mohamed Salah added a third shortly after the break, leaving United fans grateful it wasn’t a repeat of their 5-0 drubbing by the same opponents back in 2021.
The loss was particularly stinging for Ten Hag, considering six of his own signings were in the starting lineup.
Among them was the newly signed £50.5m Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who was introduced to the crowd before the match but wasn’t eligible to play.
United currently languish in 14th place on the Premier League table with just three points from three games.
However, Ten Hag refused to let the defeat dampen his spirits, emphasizing that no one should expect him to work miracles overnight.
“It’s not like I’m Harry Potter,” Ten Hag remarked. “We have to be realistic. For three of the players, it was their first start of the season.
Manuel Ugarte needs time to build his fitness and integrate into the team. I’m confident he’ll contribute, but it may take weeks, even a month. The same goes for other players.”
Ten Hag also referenced striker Joshua Zirkzee, who had a mixed performance—missing two key chances, one of which was brilliantly saved by Liverpool’s Alisson Becker.
Meanwhile, Matthijs de Ligt struggled defensively alongside Lisandro Martinez, and England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was often outmaneuvered by Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch.
In his post-match press conference, Ten Hag clashed with a journalist over criticisms of United’s repeated mistakes.
The Dutchman, clearly frustrated, defended his record, stating, “If we were making the same mistakes for two years, we wouldn’t win trophies and beat bigger opponents.”
Ten Hag also took the bold decision to substitute veteran midfielder Casemiro at half-time after the Brazilian was at fault for Liverpool’s first two goals.
A video circulating on social media suggested Casemiro left Old Trafford early, but Ten Hag dismissed the claim.
“He didn’t leave the stadium at half-time,” Ten Hag clarified. “I met him in the dressing room after the game.
We had to take risks to try and get back into the match. Casemiro has won everything in his career, and I’m sure he’ll continue to be a vital part of our team.”
Despite the setback, Ten Hag remains optimistic about United’s prospects.
“This defeat hurts, but it’s just the third game of the season. We’re building a new team, and while there’s room for improvement, I’m confident we’ll have a big chance to lift a trophy by season’s end.”
