Five talking points as Liverpool exposes Man Utd’s issues in their preseason match

LIVERPOOL 3-0 MAN UTD: Erik ten Hag witnessed his team’s preseason struggles on both sides of the ball as Arne Slot defeated his fellow Dutchman.

When the two most successful teams in English football squared off in South Carolina, Liverpool defeated Manchester United.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool prevailed in front of 77,559 spectators at the Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, despite playing one fewer preseason game than Erik ten Hag’s United.

Liverpool defeated United with a well-earned victory thanks to goals from Fabio Carvalho, Curtis Jones, and Kostas Tsimikas. United was unable to compete with its rivals and lost humiliatingly in front of Saturday’ Community Shield against Manchester City.

Following the game, both teams took a direct flight home, and these are the five talking points from their most recent US tour games.

Suspect from United at the back

Ten Hag’s decision to bench Harry Maguire for the Liverpool match speaks volumes about United’s lack of defensive options in the wake of £59 million transfer Leny Yoro’s three-month absence due to injury sustained during the tour opener against Arsenal. Ten Hag is now down to three centre backs—Maguire, Jonny Evans, and Victor Lindelof—without Yoro, and he can’t afford for any of them to be hurt.

By halftime, Liverpool had jumped out to a 2-0 lead, both goals assisted by their bitter rivals, United, who had played carelessly in defence. Ten Hag is not helped by the fact that two of his makeshift back four—Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Lindelof—are set to depart for the appropriate price.

Additionally, Mo Salah presented a formidable challenge to 17-year-old left-back Harry Amass, who was forced to play in lieu of Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot. This performance made it clear why Ten Hag wants to add two more defensive players before the transfer window opens. Shaw and Lisandro Martinez will resume training this week, but before the window closes, United has to recruit another defender.

Prior to the new season, Rashford appears sharp

With so little success last season—both on and off the field—and no spot in England’s Euro 2024 squad, Marcus Rashford is expected to have a great deal of pressure going into this new season. Ten Hag urged Rashford to stay focused both on and off the pitch, and the player rose to the occasion, putting up strong performances during his tour and winning a goal and an assist against Arsenal before leading Liverpool in his final performance.

Rashford turned Jarell Quansah and left him trailing him before attempting the same move with Harvey Elliott in the penalty area, but his angled shot was pulled wide. After playing nowhere near his best the previous season, Rashford has a lot expected of him this time around. His lively first-half performance suggested he had overcome the lethargy that dogged him and is prepared to start off strong.

Mount displays hints of a return to form.

Mason Mount is another player who, following a terrible first season at United, has something to prove this next season. After joining United for £60 million from Chelsea, Mount’s first season was marred by injuries and subpar play when he was healthy. Like Rashford, the midfielder only made five starts in the Premier League and was left out of England’s Euro 2024 roster.

Similar to Rashford, Mount was a dynamic player who used cunning movement to get into some dangerous positions and breach Liverpool’s defence to generate opportunities, even though they eventually ended in nothing. Early on, he fired straight at Caoimhin Kelleher. Later, he sprinted onto a deft pass from Casemiro, but the Liverpool custodian stopped him again. Jadon Sancho then received a wonderful cross from Mount, and he ought to have headed the ball on goal.

Elliott emphasises the importance

Following Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal in Philadelphia, Harvey Elliott received high appreciation from new head coach Slot for his two assists on goals. Elliott’s dynamic and enterprising performance against United, where the attacking midfielder was at the centre of his team’s expansive showing against their bitter rivals, will have even more impressed the Anfield manager.

Elliott was undoubtedly Liverpool’s most creative and dynamic player, able to play as a No. 10 but also having the freedom to drift out wide. This suggested Elliott could establish himself as the team’s focal point, something he failed to do under Jurgen Klopp. Elliott started just 11 Premier League games in the previous season. Based on his impactful 65-minute performance, the 21-year-old will undoubtedly surpass that number this season.

United must score more goals.

United scored the fewest goals in the top 10 last season—57—en route to their lowest-ever Premier League finish of ninth. Following his early goal against Arsenal in Los Angeles, Rasmus Hojlund suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out of the game for at least six weeks. This has caused Ten Hag a great deal of headaches over who will play up front and where the goals will come from.

While Rashford likes to start on the left and move inside, Jadon Sancho attempted to impress as a false nine against Betis and Liverpool. Joshua Zirkzee, a £36.5 million addition that United acquired from Bologna, did not go with the team; instead, he started his preseason in Manchester and is still somewhat of an unknown.

In Hojlund’s forced absence, it is consequently difficult to predict who will score goals for United. In light of this, one could argue that United needs a striker just as much as a defender, but given their restricted transfer budget due to profit and sustainability regulations, it is unlikely that they will be able to purchase both, barring a substantial revenue boost through player sales.