Liverpool manager Arne Slot will not thank Erik ten Hag for his impact on the reputation of bald Dutch managers. The Feyenoord boss looks set to arrive at Anfield this summer under a cloud of unfounded suspicion that he might flop in the same manner as the Manchester United coach.

And there is surely no doubt at this point that Ten Hag has been a disappointment. The jury has been out for some time, with results outpacing performances and buying him more patience, but it seems Manchester United's luck has finally run out.

Crystal Palace was the latest team to expose the horrible flaws in this Man United side. Of course, Liverpool cannot get on a high horse about losing to Oliver Glasner's men, but Ten Hag suffered not only a defeat but also a humiliation.

READ MORE: Luis Suárez already sent telling Darwin Núñez message as new Liverpool footage emerges

READ MORE: Claim made about Liverpool dressing room reaction to Arne Slot as he 'eyes double transfer'

From the first minute to the last, only one team was in the ascendency. In the end, 4-0 was an entirely reflective score-line. Ten Hag's side was cut open with consummate ease, and the defensive frailties came with absolutely no pay-off in terms of at least posing some attacking threat.

In securing victory, Crystal Palace completed the double over Manchester United. Ten Hag has now lost to both Glasner and Roy Hodgson — two diametrically opposed coaches, but both apparently capable of outfoxing a team with a huge amount more by way of resources.

It's all pretty enjoyable schadenfreude for Liverpool. But in the background lurks the ugly question: how on earth did Jürgen Klopp's side drop four points against this shambles of a football team?

When push comes to shove, drawing twice against this awful Manchester United side is proof positive that Liverpool did not deserve to win the title. Klopp would have deserved to bow out on that high note for the sake of his overall career at the club, but the reality is that this iteration of his side was never quite good enough to go the distance.

That's not to say it is a bad team. Even before he announced he would be leaving, Klopp was calling this 'Liverpool 2.0', a reminder that it's a young side who will grow and improve together. And while it is flawed, third place will be richly deserved — it's simply that as things stand, Arsenal and Manchester City are that little bit better.

Slot can look at those Manchester United draws — throwing in the FA Cup defeat for good measure — and work out exactly where he needs to make tweaks in order to turn this side into a genuine contender. A couple of themes stand out.

Above all, there is a finishing problem. The first draw, a 0-0 at Anfield, made that painfully obvious, but it was evident in all of the meetings with Manchester United this season.

Had Liverpool been more clinical, it would have won all three matches. There have been a lot of eyes on Darwin Núñez when it comes to wastefulness, but honing in on the Uruguayan allows the likes of Luis Díaz and Cody Gakpo to get off lightly. None of the front line, barring Diogo Jota, have really shown that cutting edge.

Slot, along with the recruitment team, will need to make a decision. Will these forwards grow into the clinical marksmen that Liverpool needs to compete, or is the transfer market required?

But the attackers might have been off the hook in two out of the three fixtures if the defensive structure had been better. Liverpool has really struggled for clean sheets, especially in the second half of the campaign, and there's a feeling that even the revamped midfield is not quite offering optimal protection to the back line.

To fix that, it may be that Slot needs an elite defensive midfielder. Most title contenders have one, and Liverpool certainly built much of its previous success on the talents of Fabinho.

Make those corrections, and Slot will have a team that can win the title. If he can do the double over Manchester United next season, it will be a sure bellwether that he has got Liverpool to where it needs to be.