Liverpool could have scored more than the three goals that it did against Manchester United at Old Trafford. And yet, Erik ten Hag still felt that his side was hard done by .
"It is not like I am Harry Potter," he said at the final whistle during his press conference. "You have to acknowledge that. For three players it was their first start of the season.
"Manuel Ugarte did not play one minute — he needs to build his fitness. Then we have to build him into the team. I am sure he will contribute to our team. It will take a couple of weeks, maybe even a month. That is the same for a lot of players."
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The only real difference between this result and the one last time Liverpool went to Old Trafford in April, though, was that this time, the Reds took the chances they created in the first half. Luis Diaz was clinical and Mohamed Salah is in a great vein of form.
Manchester United's underlying numbers from last season in general should have been a major red flag to the Red Devils' hierarchy. This performance cannot have been a complete surprise and yet Jim Ratcliffe had his head in his hands as he watched from the director's box.
Ten Hag's days should have been numbered a long time ago and this defeat will do nothing to quell the feeling that he is on borrowed time. "I don’t want to talk about positives today," he said. "This defeat hurts for us and our fans. It is the third game of the season. I have had to explain this so many times. We have to build a new team.
"We will be fine but it is clear we have to improve. At the end of the season, I am quite confident we will have a big chance to lift another trophy."
Is that really likely, though? As it stands, Manchester United winning silverware this season would have higher odds than Ten Hag being fired being Christmas. That should really have happened despite the result in the FA Cup final.
Having spent around $800m on players, his side doesn't look as if it has been properly coached. In two years at the helm, he has created a mess — with Arne Slot's ideas already clearer at Liverpool after just a few weeks. The fact that he seemingly isn't worried about what he just saw unfold should, if anything, be even more of a warning sign.
It says everything that after Ten Hag tried to sign every Ajax star he has worked with, it was Ryan Gravenberch who was the best player on the pitch. The Liverpool man ran things not because he is any more talented than the rest but primarily because he is playing in a system that works and in a team whose transition from one era to the next has been smooth.
Two years on from Ten Hag arriving at Manchester United, the Dutchman's plan still isn't clear and there needs to be even more upheaval behind the scenes. He's no Harry Potter, but Liverpool's latest statement could spell the end.
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