Liverpool vs. Manchester United: Erik ten Hag acknowledges that Arne Slot has inherited a "more mature" squad than his own

According to Erik ten Hag, Liverpool is a more experienced team than Manchester United and has the benefit of a cohesive group of seasoned players.

Ten Hag defended Marcus Rashford, the striker who has failed to score in United's first two games, saying that Liverpool are at a different "phase of the life cycle" ahead of Sunday's Premier League match at Old Trafford.

"They are a mature team with players who have played together for a long time and are very experienced," said the Dutchman. "We are much more mixed and we have to build a new team."

Liverpool finished five spots and 22 points ahead of Man United in the previous season, but the Merseyside team has not defeated United in the Premier League since a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford in August 2022.

Ten Hag went on: "(Liverpool) is a team that is transparent about the relationships amongst their players. It's what Arne Slot, the new manager, inherited. It was constructed in the most recent years."

When Slot and Ten Hag faced off in the Dutch top division in the past, there wasn't much to choose between them.
 
In the Eredivisie, both managers have split their two victories against one another. This Sunday's matchup marks their first head-to-head since early 2022.

Ten Hag also responded to BBC commentator Alan Shearer's criticism of Rashford, who was withdrawn after 65 minutes during a 2-1 loss to Brighton last weekend, calling the pundit's assessment of the striker's performance "dumb."

"Everyone gets criticism from you guys, it doesn't matter what we are doing, if we are winning or losing, if I take a player off," Ten Hag said.

"During the preseason games against Brighton and Fulham, I was particularly happy with him. It didn't take him off since his level was off.

We have talented players sitting on the bench; you need to bring some new life to the team. It is about to rotate.

"It is consistently ascertained that the player is not exerting optimal effort. That may be the case in some situations, but this was definitely not the case. In this case, the pundit's analysis is foolish."

With Sunday's 2-0 victory over Brentford, Liverpool became the first team since Graeme Souness in 1991 to win their first two league games under management. In contrast, Liverpool had a strong start to the season under Slot.

Prior to the match this weekend, Slot was asked if he was "friends" with his Dutch opponent. He answered, "No." It's a good relationship, but friends are something else entirely.

"A buddy is someone you hang out with and see frequently, but we haven't done that before. We're not familiar enough with one another."

Carragher: Liverpool faces challenges at Old Trafford

One of the biggest games we've covered on Sky, it's a big one. Lately, Liverpool has been the beneficiary of some fantastic games with high scores that have typically ended in their advantage.

"However, the games at Old Trafford are notable for their high scoring, even if Jurgen Klopp has only won twice in ten or eleven visits. There were two scores: 5-0 and 6-2.

However, Liverpool has often never fared well at Old Trafford. It will be a difficult game because last season, when Liverpool was vying for the title, that's where things went wrong.

"Old Trafford has been a difficult place to visit for any Liverpool team dating back thirty to forty years, including some of the best Liverpool teams we've ever seen.

"Liverpool ought to go there intending to win because they are a superior team versus Manchester United. Although a draw does not mean the end of the world, I believe Liverpool will win."

Neville: Ten Hag needs to perform.

"If United were to lose severely on Sunday, I would be a little concerned about Ten Hag. Jamie brought up United's disappointing losses to Jurgen Klopp; I don't see it happening on Sunday. By no means will it be a significant loss for United, in my opinion.

"United has a history of showing up at the proper times under Ten Hag and winning, so I wouldn't say I'm confident.

"I believe he needs an outcome. Although the Brighton loss last weekend doesn't put a lot of pressure on him, what happened the season before does. This season, the league cannot perform as poorly; they cannot finish up in the same spot after three months, at the end of October and in November.

"Although the season is still extremely early, this game is crucial. In terms of starting the season and raising performance levels, I wouldn't say it's more significant for United than Liverpool, but I would say Erik ten Hag will benefit more from it.

"The performance levels were still not nearly good enough in the first two weeks against Brighton and Fulham, according to the signals. And that's an imbalance in the team brought about by Joshua Zirkzee not playing for the first half or hour of games, the team's selection, and a lack of centre forward. I would assume that on Sunday, that will alter.

"I think Carragher is more worried about the game than he's letting on in the last 24 hours."