‘I’m not Harry Potter,’ Ten Hag defends Man Utd after Liverpool loss

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag emphasized that he is “not Harry Potter” and remains confident his team can still win a trophy this season, despite their humbling 3-0 defeat at home to Liverpool.

Before Luis Diaz scored twice in seven first-half minutes at Old Trafford, the visitors had already seen a goal disallowed.

Mohamed Salah added a third goal nine minutes into the second half, and United were fortunate to avoid a repeat of their 5-0 loss in the same fixture in 2021.

It was a tough day for Ten Hag, especially since six of his signings were in the starting lineup. His most recent addition, £50.5 million Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte, was introduced to the fans before the match, having been registered too late to play.

United now sit 14th in the Premier League, with only three points from their first three games.

However, Ten Hag dismissed the negativity surrounding the result, making it clear that no one should expect him to work miracles.

“It is not like I am Harry Potter,” he said. “You have to acknowledge that.

“For three players it was their first start of the season.

“Manuel Ugarte did not play one minute – he needs to build his fitness. Then we have to build him into the team. I am sure he will contribute to our team. It will take a couple of weeks, maybe even a month. That is the same for a lot of players.”

Ten Hag included striker Joshua Zirkzee in his assessment. The Dutch forward had a mixed performance, combining several wayward passes with United’s best scoring opportunities—one shot went wide, and the other was superbly saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

At the back, Matthijs de Ligt appeared uneasy alongside Lisandro Martinez, while England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was frequently outmaneuvered by Ryan Gravenberch, who dominated the central areas for Liverpool.

During the post-match press conference, Ten Hag found himself in a heated exchange with a journalist.

The former Ajax coach asserted that he had a “different vision” from the suggestion that his team had been repeating the same mistakes for two years, pointing out that they wouldn’t have won trophies or defeated bigger opponents if that were the case.

“I don’t want to talk about positives today,” he said. “This defeat hurts for us and our fans.

“It is the third game of the season. I have had to explain this so many times. We have to build a new team. We will be fine but it is clear we have to improve.

“At the end of the season I am quite confident we will have a big chance to lift another trophy.”

Veteran Brazil midfielder Casemiro was responsible for Liverpool’s first two goals.

He lost possession deep in United’s own half, gifting the ball to Gravenberch for the first goal, and was too easily outmuscled by Diaz for the second.

In a bold move, Ten Hag substituted the former Real Madrid player at halftime, bringing on 20-year-old Toby Collyer.

A video circulating on social media allegedly showed Casemiro leaving Old Trafford early, a claim that Ten Hag dismissed.

“He didn’t leave the stadium at half-time,” the manager said. “I met him in the dressing room after the game.

“I took him off because we were 2-0 down against an opponent like Liverpool. We had to take risks because we wanted to bounce back and needed players in midfield who can cover the ground.

“He won everything in his career. I am sure he will keep contributing to our team.”