Manchester United played away from home in both of their matches against Liverpool last season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was on board when the Red Devils lost 5-0 to the Reds in October, with Mohamed Salah running in with a memorable hat-trick. And Ralf Rangnick was in charge when United lost 4-0 to Liverpool in April at Anfield. United are yet to get started under Ten Hag and know that if they fail to get all three points, the pressure and scrutiny will intensify. So Express Sport will now take a look at three changes we expect the Dutchman to make as he looks to finally get a first Premier League win under his belt. Takeover of Manchester United: The Glazers have five reasons to sell Manchester United
Out Harry Maguire and in Raphael Varane
United have given Harry Maguire the benefit of the doubt so far this season, starting the England international despite his inconsistent performances for club and country. But with Liverpool next, now is the time to make a change. It emerged earlier in the week that Ten Hag was considering axing Maguire, despite backing the former Leicester star to come good and prove he deserves to captain the team. If that happens, Raphael Varane will likely partner Lisandro Martinez at the back. Martinez had a stinker last time out against Brentford but, with Ten Haag trusting him from their time at Ajax, we expect him to keep his place. But when Viktor Lindelof returns, it could be a different story. DON’T MISS OUTBruno Fernandes approves Frenkie de Jong alternative When Chelsea bid for Man Utd target Frenkie de JongMan Utd should have already sold these five players
Bruno Fernandes out and Scott McTominay in
United fans seem to loathe the midfield pairing of Fred and Scott McTominay. However, the Red Devils are more difficult to beat with the duo in the side. McTominay was left on the bench for the match against Brentford and Ten Haag appeared to regret that decision when he introduced the Scotland international in the second half. Bruno Fernandes could now be the guy of the fall. The Portugal international has lost all his magic in recent months and is a far cry from the player he was initially when he moved from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020. Removing Fernandes and pairing ‘McFred’ could be the way to ensure Liverpool don’t exploit the Red Devils’ weaknesses in the middle of the park. Want the new Man Utd shirt? click here to buy it.
Cristiano Ronaldo out and Anthony Martial in
Cristiano Ronaldo’s downfall is something that once seemed impossible. But with Anthony Martial now fit, the Portugal international is likely to find himself on the bench. Martial has delivered the goods during pre-season, scoring four goals, and has also appeared to get the best of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. Ronaldo is brilliant in the game but United, with a thinner front three, can cause Liverpool far more problems this way. It would also send a message to the rest of the team that Ten Haag will not tolerate players not paying attention to his words behind the scenes. Manchester United’s fixtures: When Erik ten Hag’s side face every Premier League team
Ten Haag previews the Liverpool clash
Speaking ahead of United’s clash with Liverpool, Ten Haag admitted he was looking to see more action from his players. “I definitely wasn’t happy,” he said, referring to last week’s 4-0 defeat by Brentford. “The basics have to be good and that has to start with the right attitude. “You need fighting spirit on the pitch and I didn’t see that from the first minute. “The players didn’t play well, a lot went wrong. You don’t have to talk about anything [tactical] when the attitude is not right”. Want the latest football news? Join our brand new Facebook group by clicking here
