Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has 'punished' his side after their 4-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday with a clash at Old Trafford against Liverpool up next.
Four first-half goals from Thomas Frank's side inflicted another embarrassing defeat on the Manchester club after they were beaten 2-1 at home to Brighton in their opening game of the season. It's far from the start Ten Hag would have wanted in his first few games in charge and reports suggest he was far from pleased with Saturday's thumping.
An article from the Telegraph claims the United boss was 'furious' with the performance and went as far to cancel the team's day off on Sunday and put them through their paces in an intense training session. The report adds the squad were made to cover 13.8km (roughly 8.5 miles) in 30-degree heat, the distance they ran less than Brentford's players the day before.
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It has also been claimed Ten Hag wants 'at least three' new signings before the transfer window closes and is hopeful one will arrive before next Monday's meeting with Liverpool. Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent weeks and if a deal is secured in the coming days, he could line up against Jurgen Klopp 's side in a week's time.
Liverpool themselves need to bounce back after a poor performance against Fulham in their opening game of the campaign. The 2-2 draw was a disappointing start, but they have a chance to put things right when they take on Crystal Palace at Anfield later this evening.
The Reds embarrassed United in both their meetings last season, with a 9-0 aggregate score over the two games. They'll hope to replicate last season's triumph at Old Trafford when the two sides meet next week, but Ten Hag will want to see a much-improved display from his players and will view a game against Liverpool as the perfect opportunity to put things right.
United's transfer window so far has been far from straightforward and the report from the Telegraph also suggests, despite having agreed fees with Barcelona and Juventus over deals for Rabiot and Frenkie de Jong, they are yet to convince the players to make the switch to Manchester.
It's no surprise United supporters are fearing the worst as their side prepares to come up against Liverpool. Amid the unrest among the fanbase and frustration with the owners, a social media campaign has urged fans to stay away from Old Trafford for the visit of the Merseyside club.
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