Erik ten Hag's side suffered their first defeat of the season against Brighton in the second round, when Joao Pedro scored the decisive goal in stoppage time. Meanwhile, Arne Slot's Liverpool won both matches from the beginning of the season against Ipswich and Brentford, scoring 4 goals and conceding no goals.
“It's difficult to score when you don't have a striker”
Commenting on the team's performance, Gary Neville said: "I wouldn't say Man United were unlucky against Brighton. It is very difficult to play football without a central striker. People used to do that with virtual strikers.
But when playing with Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes as the highest players, along with Amad and Marcus Rashford on the wings, Man United almost failed in the first half.
They didn't play badly but nothing remarkable either. It's difficult to score goals and play good football if you don't have a good centre-forward, let alone a centre-forward."
In both matches against Fulham and Brighton, Man United kept the starting lineup. Coach Erik ten Hag used Mason Mount and Bruno as the highest players in the attack. But this strategy was not effective when Mount was replaced early in both matches, and Bruno did not score any goals.
Only when Joshua Zirkzee - a real striker - came onto the field, could Man United create better pressure. Zirkzee scored against Fulham to bring victory to the Red Devils and also almost scored against Brighton. The Dutch striker plays the ball simply, handling the decisive moments neatly.
Need to change when playing Liverpool
According to Gary Neville, Man United needs a change when playing Liverpool in round 3 of the Premier League. He said: “There is no balance in the 4-2-2-2 formation that Ten Hag is pursuing. I expect them to change the system against Liverpool.
Erik ten Hag changed the defenders in the match against Brighton, replacing the centre-backs, which was not recommended at that time. There needs to be trust in the defenders and keeping the defense familiar."
According to Sky Sports experts, Erik ten Hag expressed uncertainty about personnel selection, about which players the team should play, and at what time. “I think he needs to choose a clear, consistent playing system, choose four defenders as well as the correct midfielders. It was difficult when Hojlund was injured, but now let's choose a real striker on the field and change the playing style," Neville shared.
According to this former defender of Man United and the England team, Erik ten Hag adjusted the personnel a lot in the two matches against Fulham and Brighton, replacing center backs, full backs, midfielders... But not all decisions are the same. Exactly. Therefore, according to Neville, Erik ten Hag needs to soon create stability in personnel, playing style, and eliminate bad habits from the beginning if he wants to improve Man United's performance.
The Man United - Liverpool match will take place at 10:00 p.m. on September 1.
