Ten Hag still has a midfield problem – but do Manchester United have the players to fix it? (2024)

The “Ole!” chants from Liverpool fans started in the 59th minute.

What could have been a tensely fought tactical match-up ended up being a physical affair that left little doubt over which team are in the ascendancy.

Manchester United are in their third season with their current manager but still appear an uneven work in progress. Liverpool, meanwhile, have had only weeks acclimatising to their new manager, yet they clearly have a greater grasp of how to win games.

Erik ten Hag’s side finished the day at Old Trafford on the wrong side of the 3-0 scoreline. That included Casemiro — previously considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the world — suffering the ignominy of a half-time substitution.

The 32-year-old was at the centre of two of Liverpool’s goals. First, he misplaced a pass that was seized upon by Ryan Gravenberch in the build-up to Luis Diaz’s opening goal. Six minutes later, Diaz would dispossess Casemiro, starting the move that would earn Liverpool’s second.

The Brazilian misplaced 10 of his 37 passes in a showing that raises questions over his continued suitability for the club. Speaking on Sky Sports, Gary Neville compared Casemiro’s performance to his own similar experience in 2011 against West Bromwich Albion, which prompted his retirement.

When Liverpool launched their counter-attack for their first goal, Diogo Jota could be seen pointing to the space behind Casemiro, telling team-mates to funnel the ball there. For the second goal, there was a brief moment where Casemiro lay on the floor and reached out with his arm; a midfielder desperate to save himself from a slow humiliation, briefly considering subjecting himself to a fast one by handling the ball.

After more than 650 senior appearances for club and country, his positive influence has started to wane. There are few protections for him or midfield partner Kobbie Mainoo within Ten Hag’s midfield setup. Caught between a back line that defended deep and a front press that wanted to push high, United’s midfield suffered. Casemiro would be replaced by 20-year-old Toby Collyer. Ten Hag’s side spent the second half with a midfield pivot consisting of two academy graduates with fewer than 40 senior appearances to their names.

In October 2023, the United manager said, “In football, it is eat or get eaten.” On Sunday, his team took on one of the league’s apex predators without a knife. “When we are 2-0 down against Liverpool with their qualities, we had to take risks as we had to bounce back,” said the United manager at full time. “We needed a midfielder who could cover ground, therefore we brought Toby Collyer on the pitch.”

Collyer worked hard, but United were second-best for much of the second half. Ten Hag’s team continue to have the same frailties that bedevilled them last season. The back four spent large sections of the game defending closer to their own penalty area than Liverpool’s, leaving gaps wide in central midfield and in front of the full-backs. Attempts to build from the back in a slow, measured manner were often undone by rushed and inaccurate passing as the ball crossed the halfway line.

United again attempted to match Liverpool’s energy in midfield and found themselves wanting against a stronger, more connected opponent. Mainoo was bullied off the ball by Alexis Mac Allister in the build-up to Liverpool’s third goal. The Argentinian is a great asset to Liverpool, not just for his technical ability and physical application as a box-to-box player, but also for how he can tutor and help Gravenberch learn the defensive nuances needed to become a top defensive midfielder. Liverpool’s midfield help one another. United’s midfield is disconnected from one another.

Before the Community Shield, Ten Hag said he “addressed” how United respond to losing the ball, but also said it would take time to fit in the new changes. In contrast, Arne Slot’s team are learning his methods fast. In the space of two minutes talking to broadcasters, he outlined how Liverpool dealt with United’s attempts to press them over the pitch. (We’ve cued the below video at 1:50 for your viewing.)

“I see them working harder, in my opinion, if the ball is working through them, so they run more,” said the Liverpool manager. “Their full-backs, nine out of 10 times, are really high and then Casemiro comes in between. So if you pick the ball and keep Luiz Diaz and Mo Salah high, then you are constantly in a one-to-one situation.

“And then you need midfielders that can run. We had three of them today that kept on running and if they arrive in the duel, they are aggressive enough to win it. That was one of the main things why we could win today.”

United’s plans for defensive midfield rest on new arrival Manuel Ugarte’s swift integration into the starting XI, though he was not signed in time to face Liverpool. The Uruguay international is viewed as an excellent ball-winner, yet he won’t be able to fix all of United’s struggles on his own.

Ten Hag’s team lack the running power to match the league’s best sides from minute one to minute 90. Players are struggling to pass and receive the ball between the lines, making it harder for the team to manipulate opponents and pull defenders out of position.

The international break gives Ten Hag two weeks to formulate a method to get extra bodies in midfield to mitigate the team’s issues when they lose the ball and need to retreat. United’s attempts to build from the back require refinement, while the attack looks disorganised and disjointed.

Marcus Rashford has not scored in 12 matches (his last goal was in the FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool) and is in an attacking slump. Alejandro Garnacho — who was preferred in the starting XI to Amad — did offer some threat running in behind Liverpool’s defence, but one notable cross he made in the first half swung into a space in the penalty area, while Joshua Zirkzee stood closer to the halfway line.

Ten Hag’s move to a 4-2-4 shape was to help the team remain compact and resilient against counter-attacks, but it has come at the detriment of the team’s attacking threat. United were ineffective on both sides of the ball against Liverpool, attempting to battle with a dented shield and a blunt sword.

Ten Hag again used his post-match press conference to ask for patience, but reminded the assembled press of his trophy count when asked when things would improve. It is only three games into the new season, but his team are playing catch up to rivals at the top of the table. The return of Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw from injuries later in September should help Ugarte and others, but there are a limited amount of fixes for a slowly rising set of issues.

United need to improve. And fast. How Ten Hag does that will define the rest of the season.

(Top photo: Toby Collyer; Shaun Botterill via Getty Images)

Carl Anka is a journalist covering Manchester United for The Athletic. Follow Carl on Twitter @Ankaman616