Another match where Manchester United lost to Liverpool at Old Trafford. "I'm not Harry Potter. That's something you have to admit," said Erik ten Hag after the match.
There are, however, many other questions that Ten Hag himself refuses to acknowledge, at least in public. When asked about the same mistakes as last season, Ten Hag snapped at reporters: "Are you sure? I don't think so. Otherwise you can't win the titles like we did and beat so many big teams. After Man City, Man United are the team that has won the most titles. I feel very sorry for you."
If Ten Hag fails to acknowledge his tactical and personnel mistakes, it is no surprise that the Red Devils continue to decline. Of course, it is also possible that the Dutch strategist wants to avoid the media as the pressure increases.
However, after all of Ten Hag's evasions, the image of Sir Jim Ratcliffe with his head in his hands and a sad face is undeniable. The question is, will the "Red Devils" leadership regret trusting Ten Hag after publicly considering sacking him?
Ten Hag's future is one of Ratcliffe's first big decisions, and it will shape the entire season. The fact that it's being made so public is problematic in itself. Simply put, everyone knows there are serious doubts about Ten Hag.
The only way to stop that is to start producing great performances and results. In fact, with each defeat, the uncertainty around Ten Hag becomes more and more apparent.
Arne Slot summed up United's problems - both new and old - succinctly in a post-match TV interview. "Almost all their full-backs are very high up the pitch, and then Casemiro comes in between. So if you have the ball and you can keep Luis Diaz or Mohamed Salah high up the pitch, you're always one-on-one."
To be frank, Slot dared to say so. Ten Hag's approach was so predictable that the Liverpool manager could confidently confirm it to the media. Remember, this was only Slot's third official match at Anfield.
“Building a team” is a phrase that Ten Hag has repeated over and over again for the past two years. But ironically, he has lost tactically to a colleague who is “wet behind the ears” in the Premier League. Even Fabian Hurzeler - the coach of Brighton, only 31 years old, can do the same.
Of course, this is not to single out Ten Hag personally. But the fact remains that there is little evidence that Ten Hag will turn things around.
Obviously, it would be bad if Man United sacked Ten Hag now, not long after the decision in the summer. Perhaps, the "Red Devils" will still have to be patient, just don't know until when.
It's worrying that many of the old faults still linger at Old Trafford. And Ten Hag doesn't need to be a wizard to change them!
