Sunday saw Ten Hag take charge of his final game in charge of United, which it lost 2-1 to West Ham United. It has since been confirmed the Dutchman has been sacked by United, with Ruud van Nistelrooy taking over in the interim.
However, the warning signs for United’s INEOS led boardroom have been showing for sometime. They were dreadful last term and have carried that poor form into this season too.
On the flip side, Liverpool boss Slot came in to replace the departing Jurgen Klopp, and has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water. The Reds have lost just once in the Premier League this term, having won seven of their opening nine, with their most recent result seeing them draw 2-2 with Arsenal at the Emirates.
One of those wins saw the Reds dismantle Ten Hag’s side at Old Trafford 3-0 back in September, with Slot offering up a detailed explanation of just how Liverpool played the Reds off the park, something which should have been of concern to co-owner Ratcliffe.
Speaking back in September, Slot said: “Last season, there were man marking on the midfield, and they had a press with the seven and 11 (the wingers). So with the striker, and one of the wingers jumped with him.
“This season, they are more with a 9 and 10 press, so they’re more in a 4-4-2. So that’s different, of course. I see them, in my opinion, working harder if the ball is being played through them, so they run more. That’s at least what I saw in their first games.
Erik ten Hag has been sacked following Manchester United’s defeat to West Ham
“Their style is also – this is maybe last season, I don’t remember that well – but their full-backs, nine out of ten times, are really high, and then Casemiro comes in between. So, if you pick up the ball and you can keep Diaz and Mo Salah high, then you’re constantly in a one-on-one situation.
“Then you need midfielders that can run, and we had three of them today that kept running, and if they arrive in a duel, they are aggressive enough to win it. So that was, I think, one of the main reasons why we could win today.”
