Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool: 5 things noticed as obvious transfer priority revealed

Five things noticed as Manchester United fell to a 3-0 defeat against Liverpool in Erik ten Hag’s final fixture of their USA pre-season tour.

Erik ten Hag chose to start Marcus Rashford as Manchester United faced Liverpool in their final USA pre-season fixture of 2024 with one eye on the Community Shield against Manchester City next Saturday.

The fixture started fast, with both teams having early opportunities, but Liverpool struck first. Fabio Carvalho sent Casemiro for a hot dog before slotting the ball past Onana with the aid of a deflection.

Read More: Player Ratings – Manchester United vs Liverpool (pre-season)

While United continued to probe and looked very good, it was Liverpool who struck gold again, as Salah’s low cross was turned in by Curtis Jones. United had their chances but failed to convert in the first half.

United continued to serve themselves chances in the second half, but it was yet again Liverpool who continued to convert, scoring their third of the game, with Konstantinos Tsimikas converting a rebound from André Onana’s save.

The tie ended on a further sour note as Will Fish, who replaced Jonny Evans at halftime, had to be stretchered off due to an ankle problem in the 70th minute of the tie. As the tie drew to a close, it trailed off, with United having to make a number of changes, with the youth players being issued further minutes.

#1 – United’s front three

Ahead of kick-off, it became obvious that, with Rasmus Højlund injured, Jadon Sancho will likely take his place against Manchester City pending final assessment. Amad is undroppable, and Rashford has the most minutes in his legs on the left wing.

The only thing that will ned to be assessed is if Joshua Zirkzee, the new signing, would be comfortable enough to come in straight from the start with his new teammates at Wembley Stadium.

He played a big part in United’s good press, working well with Mason Mount on that end. He also had his hand in creating chances throughout the game, playing around 65 minutes before his substitution.

#2 – Out of possession tactics

Contrary to last season, United set up well out of possession with a high-pressing hexagon shape, which made the side much harder to play through. Ten Hag’s men worked well in unison to suffocate the ball off Liverpool whenever they could, and it led to multiple chances throughout the tie.

It was not perfect—pre-season rarely is—but further elements of Ten Hag’s ideal play, both in and out of possession, are starting to creep through, evidence of coherent training sessions with the Dutchman and his new coaching setup.

#3 – Rashford LOVES Liverpool

Whether it’s a crunch Premier League game or a pre-season friendly, Rashford is electric against Liverpool each time. After a poor 2023/24 campaign, this coming one is pivotal for the English winger, and he looks up to the challenge.

His game against Liverpool was certainly his best of the tour so far, and he has been steadily increasing his performances across the summer following his Euro 2024 English omission. it seems he will start this season with plenty of positive minutes under his belt.

Let’s hope he can continue because an electric and firing Rashford completely elevates United’s attacking threat.

#4 – Defensive liabilities apparent

None of United’s starting back four started the tie, with all of Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martínez, Leny Yoro, and Diogo Dalot available for the pre-season tie. While United’s attack and midfield looked coherent and up for the challenge, it was clear that the back four stood out like a sore thumb, as when the initial press was broken, they were in tatters.

It also did not help that Casemiro, the weakest link in the front six, was the midfield cover for the defenders. Although he had his positive moments, his limitations and liabilities continue to be apparent. Another midfield reinforcement is obviously needed before the window shuts—there is no question about this.

#5 – A flattering scoreline

Although the score suggests that Liverpool dominated, this was not the case by any stretch. The only difference was that Liverpool finished their chances while United did not.

It was the story of the game, but fans should be encouraged by the overall performance. Scorelines are secondary in pre-season, but this will not be the case once the club kicks off the Premier League against Fulham on Friday, 16 August.

Many of United’s most important players, such as Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martínez, and Alejandro Garnacho, will now reunite with their teammates once they land back in the UK on Sunday afternoon. Next up, City at Wembley.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Thursday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.