In the third round of the Premier League, Salah contributed two assists and one goal, while Diaz scored twice, leading to Manchester United’s 0-3 home defeat against Liverpool. After the match, Manchester United’s head coach, Ten Hag, gave an interview to the media.
Ten Hag said, “I am not Harry Potter, you have to admit this. For three players, this was their first start of the season. Ugarte didn’t play for a single minute — he needs to regain his fitness. Then we need to integrate him into the team. I believe he will contribute to our team. This might take a few weeks or even a month. The same applies to many other players.”
“We made mistakes, and Liverpool were very efficient in finishing, they did well. Did Liverpool’s forwards destroy our defense? I don’t think so. If I look at all the chances we conceded, I don’t think that’s what happened. We made mistakes, all individual errors. Perhaps on the last goal, you could say our double pivot midfielders were poorly positioned. Liverpool performed well, but their expected goals weren’t high. Clearly, Liverpool deserved the win. We must be humble, accept this, and improve our game.”
“There are still many matches to be played, I know where we will be by the end of the season. We will compete for trophies. That is certain. In these two years, we’ve won two trophies. We’ll see where we are by the end of the season. We’ve brought in new players, but there are still some who can’t play. Our opponents may be slightly ahead in certain aspects, but we will catch up and bounce back. Today, I don’t want to say anything overly optimistic because we lost 3-0. We must get up and bounce back.”
Regarding Casemiro being substituted, Ten Hag added, “This was what the team needed. When you are trailing 0-2 against Liverpool, you have to take bigger risks, the game becomes more open. I must praise the team, you have to continue fighting and stay together. How did he take it? You understand the game, he understands the game too. He will move forward, and we will move forward as well. He is a great player. We will continue to elevate the team and the players this season. He is progressing and often demonstrates that he is a great player. We’ve all seen his brilliant moments in midfield, and he is decisive there. He will demonstrate this again and will bounce back.”