Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has claimed that Erik ten Hag made a huge ‘tactical’ mistake in Manchester United’s crushing 7-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo opened the scoring against United in the first half last Sunday before Ten Hag’s men suffered a second-half collapse against their rivals.
Gakpo completed his brace after the break, with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah grabbing two apiece and Roberto Firmino scoring Liverpool’s seventh of the match.
United manager Ten Hag opted for the in-form Marcus Rashford to lead the frontline against Liverpool, with Burnley loanee Wout Weghorst playing as a No 10.
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Weghorst’s loan spell at Turkish side Besiktas was cut short after United brought him to Old Trafford in January, with Ten Hag left short in the striking department after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.
The 30-year-old Dutch forward, who has received criticism over his role at United, has only scored once and registered two assists in 14 appearances for the Red Devils.
Speaking after United’s drubbing at the hands of Liverpool, Merson questioned Ten Hag’s decision to deploy Weghorst as a No 10 against the Reds.
“The manager, for me, has been getting away with it. Yes, he’s done great in a way,” he said, as per The Daily Mail.
“But Wout Weghorst as a No 10, I’m not having that. How is he a No 10? How is the manager getting away with that?
“It’s Manchester United Football Club and you’ve got Weghorst as a 10 -- he can’t turn and run, he can’t pass through the eye of a needle.
“What is he thinking? I’m not blaming Ten Hag because they lost, but why play Marcus Rashford against [Liverpool defender] Virgil van Dijk? He plays out wide every week.
“You’ve got Liverpool’s weakest defender in Trent Alexander-Arnold having a free ride. Trent wouldn’t have believed his luck.
“Man United got it tactically wrong. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the set-up of the team -- there is only one manager who could have got away with that and that is Ten Hag.”
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Topics: Paul Merson, Erik Ten Hag, Wout Weghorst, Manchester United, Premier League, England, Football, Liverpool
Adnan Riaz