Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher says Erik ten Hag has been kept in a job because of his results against the Reds in the past — and Arne Slot will be hoping that the same doesn't happen again this weekend.
Since Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford from Ajax, he has won more matches against Liverpool than he has lost. In fact, the only competitive defeat for Manchester United in that period was the famous 7-0 game at Anfield despite the Reds having 87 shots against the Reds Devils in the 2024/25 campaign.
"Ultimately, a lack of agreement that the right man was available to replace him kept Brendan Rodgers in the job," Carragher wrote in his Daily Telegraph column, referring to the summer of 2015. A few weeks into the new season, when results didn't go his way and Jurgen Klopp became available, Rodgers was fired.
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"His response was to make changes to his backroom team instead — another echo of how Ten Hag has sought an Old Trafford refresh this summer," Carragher wrote.
"For Rodgers, it proved a stay of execution. He could not survive the next poor sequence of results as those pushing for change felt it was a matter of when, not if, he was replaced as soon as the ideal candidate became available — as Klopp did during the international break in October."
At Manchester United, despite the INEOS takeover, things have not really changed that much. Ruud van Nistelrooy has been added to the coaching team but many of the transfers were still Ten Hag influenced.
"Ten Hag is in danger of entering the same territory, despite being given a new contract," Carragher continued. "When a manager’s position is so heavily scrutinized and a club of United’s stature decides to provide more financial backing to improve the squad, there is no wriggle room and there must be an upward trajectory.
"The good news for Ten Hag is his brief history as United coach would suggest Liverpool are the perfect opponent to enable him to avert a crisis. So far, it has been a case of Liverpool rescuing Ten Hag. When the heat has been at its most intense, the schedule has conveniently offered up his club’s greatest rivals and Ten Hag has emerged stronger, the doubters fended off for another few months."
Liverpool.com says: The Reds definitely owe Manchester United one. Having hammered them for three matches without a positive result last season, perhaps Slot can become the first Liverpool boss in a long time to win his first match at Old Trafford.
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