I think Erik ten Hag looked like a different man during Man United win vs Liverpool

Legendary United shot-stopper Peter Schmeichel was full of praise for Erik ten Hag and his unusual tactics that saw the Red Devils beat Liverpool 4-3 in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Manchester United came out victorious against bitter rivals Liverpool in an instant classic at Old Trafford with Erik ten Hag’s side progressing to the semifinals of the FA Cup as a result.

The Dutchman seemed to throw the formation book out of the window in the dying stages of the match in pursuit of the win, as Bruno Fernandes and Antony both had stints playing in defence, and every player’s position seemed to be pretty fluid.

If United had not achieved the winning result, these maverick tactics would have seen Ten Hag crucified by the fans and the media alike, but they worked a treat. Marcus Rashford’s equaliser, shortly followed by Amad finding the back of the net, sent the Theatre of Dreams into eruption and killed the Scousers’ quadruple hopes.

Peter Schmeichel has been revelling in the innovation shown by his former club, telling BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast, “The way United won that game pleases me enormously because it is something that has gone out of their game in the past few years.”

The Great Dane continued, “I haven’t seen that urgent willingness to do absolutely crazy things in order to achieve that win.

“I think Ten Hag has done really, really well in the past couple of games. He has got Alejandro Garnacho looking like someone who can play every game and work hard the whole time. That comes from the manager telling and teaching him how to be on the pitch.”

Several reports have stated that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are looking at potential candidates to replace Ten Hag which includes Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter, and Julian Nagelsmann if performances don’t improve but Schmeichel believes that this tactical change shows a reason why the club should stick with their current manager.

“In extra time, Ten Hag changed the formation and threw caution to the wind,” said Schmeichel. “We call that risk mode where you put everything in there in order to win.

“Most people will say this doesn’t mean anything, but he came on that pitch yesterday in a suit and tie and looked like a different man. He looked like the manager, like a strong character. Sometimes these little changes have a massive impact.

“If this is how Ten Hag is going to approach this next period, then I don’t see any reason for a change. There are lots of other positions that need changing in the club, and you can’t do it all in one go.”