Manchester United 4-0 Liverpool: 5 talking points as the Red Devils begin Erik ten Hag era with resounding win

Preparations for the 2022-23 Premier League season have officially begun for heavyweights Manchester United and Liverpool, with the teams going head-to-head in a pre-season friendly in Thailand on Tuesday.

Like in April this year, the scoreline was 4-0. Only this time, it was in favor of Manchester United, with goals from Jadon Sancho (12’), Fred (30’), Anthony Martial (33’) and Facundo Pellistri (76’). Manchester United had previously beaten Liverpool in April 2003 with the same scoreline.

Both teams made multiple changes throughout the game, as is to be expected from pre-season fixtures. Players are looking to get back to their best after returning from their summer breaks only a few days ago.

On that note, here are five talking points from the game:

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#1 The Erik ten Hag era begins with a bang

Erik ten Hag has been linked with the Manchester United role throughout Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Ralf Rangnick’s tenures. A lot of analysis has been done trying to decode how the Dutchman would set up his team, and the first view of that passed almost all tests.

Manchester United were quick on the ball, pressed up high and played with the sort of intensity that has only been seen sporadically since the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Manchester United stuck with a 4-2-3-1 when in possession, made use of positional play and inverted full-backs. Players were sharper to react, far more assured in transition, and confident on the ball.

Blindly thumping the ball out of defense has been replaced with defenders looking to play their way out of trouble, as seen in Facundo Pellistri’s goal.

Eric Bailly, a defender many thought wouldn’t fit ten Hag, ran out from the back, brushed past challenges and ran the length of the pitch to join the attack. Had Pellistri not been in the box, Bailly was just inches behind, waiting to finish the move he started.

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#2 Will Jurgen Klopp stick with 4-3-3 or move to 4-2-3-1?

Unlike Roberto Firmino, Liverpool now have a traditional forward in Darwin Nunez. With the big money paid to bring the Uruguayan from Benfica, it’s expected that he’ll slot into the team from the start.

Speaking after his signing, Jurgen Klopp hinted at a possible move away from his tried and trusted 4-3-3 to something new.

Klopp said in a press conference (via This is Anfield):

“We can play a different system as well, where we might only need two midfielders. All these guys can play as a No. 10 in the new system."

With Liverpool not looking to add a midfielder this summer, the new system has been widely rumored to be 4-2-3-1, a favorite for Klopp during his time with Borussia Dortmund. Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, and Luis Diaz are expected to support Nunez, with a couple of midfielders being used as buffers in midfield.

If there is going to be a tactical evolution, fans will have to wait as the three different teams Klopp used in Thailand all stuck to the 4-3-3 formation. With the team just eight days into pre-season and three days since the international players returned, it was probably too soon for Klopp to successfully transition into a new system.

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#3 Erik ten Hag commands respect, for now

Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, it has always been reported that players have too much power at the club and managers are not backed when it matters. Even the likes of serial winner Jose Mourinho and fan favorite Solskjaer couldn’t get full control over their squads, with frequent leaks of media dissent and in-fighting becoming a theme.

That was all set to change with Erik ten Hag, and the first piece of evidence looked promising. He stood in his technical area for the majority of the match and was ably backed by his vocal lieutenants, Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren.

He was not animated but was not afraid to take matters into his own hands if needed. Evidenced by the fact that he was seen collaring Anthony Elanga during a brief stoppage to offer some advice.

As long as the management lets ten Hag have the upper hand, he has all the right tools to ensure the club’s fortunes take a turn in the right direction, like he did at Ajax.

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#4 The Cristiano Ronaldo conundrum - where does he fit in this Manchester United team?

Edinson Cavani has left, Mason Greenwood is out of the picture with legal troubles, and Marcus Rashford is used either as a winger or wide forward. Ideally, that would mean Cristiano Ronaldo would slot in as the striker. The Portuguese icon's absence from pre-season and his apparent desire to quit Manchester United aside, how will the 37-year-old fit into the new system?

While he's still extremely fit, he’s also not at his peak to be able to press for 90 minutes - something that ten Hag demands from his forwards. The fluidity of play meant attackers took turns going wide, dropping deep or playing on the defender’s shoulders.

Is Ronaldo still a threat down the wing? Will he be okay with dropping deep and letting others take over goalscoring duties? Can he keep up with high-intensity football over an entire season? But most importantly, will he still be a part of the club? Only time will tell.

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#5 It’s only a pre-season friendly, lest we forget

A win against a traditional rival will mean plenty to Manchester United, while the loss will be brushed aside by Liverpool. For that’s the nature of pre-season friendlies, especially ones that come right after the summer break.

Both teams had fielded a mix of youth and experience on the pitch, and the squads will be trimmed down as we get closer to the start of the season. This match was all about getting minutes in the legs, with the early priority being fitness more than anything else. For both managers, these games are all about getting their players into their best shape without picking up any injuries.

Manchester United will face Melbourne Victory in Australia next on 15 July, while Liverpool travel to Singapore to take on Crystal Palace on the same day.