Erik ten Hag has acknowledged that he isn’t a “Harry Potter” capable of conjuring instant fixes for Manchester United’s struggles following a 3-0 home defeat by Liverpool on Sunday. The Dutch manager faces mounting pressure just three games into the Premier League season after a previous 2-1 loss to Brighton.
The defeat to Liverpool follows a dramatic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in May, which had helped ten Hag retain his position despite United’s disappointing eighth-place finish last season—an all-time low in the Premier League. Despite being granted a contract extension and a substantial £200 million ($262 million) investment in new players, United’s hopes for a turnaround have been dimmed as Liverpool easily secured a win in Arne Slot’s first major test since taking over from Jurgen Klopp.
In his post-match press conference, Ten Hag stated, “It’s not like I’m Harry Potter, that is what you have to acknowledge. We are just three games into the season and still building a new team. We have young players and new additions who need time to integrate. Today, we had two or three players who didn’t start the season and weren’t fully fit for 90 minutes.”
Ten Hag expressed confidence that the team will improve, adding, “We will be fine. It’s clear we have to improve, but I’m quite confident that by the end of the season we will have a good chance to lift another trophy.”
The match saw Casemiro, a key player, struggle as Liverpool scored their first two goals. The Brazilian lost possession twice before Luis Diaz scored. At half-time, Casemiro was replaced by 20-year-old Toby Collyer. Despite this, Ten Hag defended Casemiro, stating, “He’s a great character. He has won everything in his career. I’m sure he will continue to contribute to our team.”
United has struggled to challenge for the Premier League title since the retirement of legendary manager Alex Ferguson 11 years ago. With a six-point deficit to Liverpool and defending champions Manchester City, it seems another season of fighting for other trophies may be the best hope for the club.
“It hurts, especially for our fans,” Ten Hag admitted. “We have to be humble, give credit to Liverpool, and move on.”