Man Utd thrashed by Liverpool – Ten Hag must recruit centre-forward and Toney fits the bill
Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
There are 26 days until the transfer window closes and Manchester United should be prioritising the recruitment of another centre-forward over anything else. Ivan Toney is in the final year of his contract with Brentford and there is a strong case to be made for United stepping up their interest in the England striker.
Erik ten Hag’s third season is almost upon us and already fans could be forgiven for again wondering where the goals are going to come from. A 3-0 defeat against Liverpool in South Carolina reinforced as much. With Rasmus Hojlund sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring injury, United are back in the unenviable situation of having just one young, unproven recognised striker who is completely new to the Premier League to call upon in attack.
Joshua Zirkzee has yet to kick a ball for United and already pressure is building around the new £36.5 million signing from Bologna. United fans are likely to get their first glimpse of the 23-year-old Netherlands forward in the Community Shield against Manchester City on Saturday but Ten Hag may be reluctant to throw him straight in, so there is the prospect of Jadon Sancho starting as a makeshift striker at Wembley.
That is the same Sancho whom Ten Hag exiled for 11 months and would prefer to sell this summer to raise funds to reinvest in his squad. Sancho did well enough as a false nine in the 3-2 win over Real Betis in San Diego on Thursday after Ten Hag was forced to shuffle the pack in the wake of Hojlund’s injury against Arsenal four days earlier.
But the England winger struggled against Liverpool in the early hours on Sunday and missed a glorious headed chance in the first half when Mason Mount plonked a perfect cross on his head – the sort of opportunity a natural centre-forward would ordinarily thrive on.
Marcus Rashford was more dangerous but no one can be quite sure which Rashford will turn up this season – the one who plundered 30 goals in Ten Hag’s debut season or the player who found the net just eight times last term and fell foul of his manager on numerous occasions owing to his off-field behaviour.
Beyond that, Antony has done little to suggest he can cut it at this level while Amad Diallo – who is probably the favourite to start on the right flank – has made just five league starts for the club.
On Thursday, United had a joint bid for the Bayern Munich defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazrouai rejected by the Bundesliga club and there is no doubt Ten Hag still requires reinforcements in the back line, a situation exacerbated by new signing Leny Yoro being ruled out for three months with a fractured metatarsal.
But this was a summer when United, given their financial constraints, were always going to have to make compromises and – looking at the options available to Ten Hag – it is still hard to see where a consistent supply of goals is going to come from. The pressure that then puts on the rest of the team is immense.
Liverpool demonstrated the importance here of ruthlessness in attack with three clinically taken goals whereas United squandered far too many inviting opportunities.
It might seem a little incongruous to focus on the attack when the team shipped three goals against Arne Slot’s side but Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were all missing and the defence that lines up against Fulham on August 16 should look very different.
United were comfortably the lowest scorers among the Premier League’s top six in Ten Hag’s first season with just 58 goals in 38 matches and they managed one fewer than that total last term, the joint lowest of any of the top 10.
So goals have been at a premium for two seasons now and yet United are still without a striker who has proven he can lead the line, bully defences and score goals in the English top-flight.
Hojlund has had just one season in England and the 21-year-old will now not be available until after the September international break.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, is an unknown entity. Maybe he will hit the ground running quickly but he has missed the entirety of United’s pre-season tour of the US owing to his (limited) involvement at the Euros with the Netherlands. With United’s tour players due to have Monday and Tuesday off, Wednesday is likely to be the first opportunity Zirkzee gets to train with the full squad.
Someone like Toney would offer experience, physicality, aggression, bags of confidence and a goal threat and help to carry much of the burden which, at the moment, is resting heavily on young shoulders.
The 28-year-old has scored 36 goals in 83 Premier League appearances for Brentford and would probably fancy his chances of improving his strike rate at Old Trafford. Brentford will not want to lose him for nothing as a free agent next summer, which could open the door for United this summer.
Ten Hag wants another centre-back, a No. 6 midfielder and a striker but, with United struggling to offload players, some tough decisions may have to be made. With no takers, as yet, for Casemiro, United are looking at the potential sale of Scott McTominay to free up cash to fund a move for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manual Ugarte.
But if it is a choice between a sixth central defender after Martinez, Maguire, Yoro, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof, the last of whom admittedly could be sold, and a pedigree centre-forward, United should be investing those funds in a striker.
Liverpool dominate in South Carolina to ease past Manchester United: As it happened
03:02 AM BST
Happy man
03:01 AM BST
Successful tour for Liverpool
Three wins from three on tour 🙌🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/YaLQ2UGB9a
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 4, 2024
02:56 AM BST
Thanking the fans
02:47 AM BST
Picture sums up the feeling for Liverpool
02:44 AM BST
Going home happy
Liverpool have received great support on their tour in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and South Carolina and their fans will go home happy tonight. Now it is time for Arne Slot’s men to return home to Merseyside as the new Premier League season is getting nearer and nearer.
02:40 AM BST
US tours complete
That is three wins from three for Liverpool on their tour as they get set to fly home in the coming hours. Liverpool have two games next Sunday at Anfield against Sevilla and Las Palmas.
For Manchester United their tour ends in defeat and now they prepare for the Community Shield against Manchester City next weekend.
02:38 AM BST
FT
There is the final whistle and Liverpool have won 3-0 in South Carolina. Goals from Fabio Carvalho, Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas have led Arne Slot’s side to a comfortable victory.
Completing our US tour with a win 💚 pic.twitter.com/KIQoGjan2Q
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 4, 2024
02:35 AM BST
90 mins: Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
There are three added minutes.
02:29 AM BST
84 mins: Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
Liverpool work it well again down the right and Stephenson sends in the cross, but Manchester United clear their lines.
02:27 AM BST
82 mins: Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
Nyoni has a shot from inside the box but his effort takes a deflection and Onana makes the save.
Wan-Bissaka, who was down just a couple of minutes ago, has gone down again and will have to be replaced by Scanlon.
02:25 AM BST
80 mins: Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
Into the final 10 minutes we go in South Carolina.
02:20 AM BST
75 mins: Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
Bajectic finds Doak in open space on the right-hand space. He cuts onto his left foot inside the box but he skies his effort.
02:18 AM BST
71 mins: Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
Fish is going to come off on a stretcher here. Manchester United have brought on Mather, Oyedele and Murray. Sancho and Amass have also come off in addition to Fish.
Liverpool are taking the opportunity to make a change as well as Stephenson replaces Bradley.
02:14 AM BST
69 mins: Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
First yellow card of the night as Fish is booked for a cynical foul on Blair. As blatant a yellow as you will see. Fish has caused himself some damage in the process of committing that foul.
02:11 AM BST
66 mins: Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
Time for plenty of Liverpool changes:
ON Blair, Morton, Doak, Endo, Bajcetic, Chambers, Phillips
OFF Salah, Carvalho, Jota, Tsimikas, Quansah, Gravenberch, Elliott.
02:09 AM BST
65 mins: Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
Manchester United have made a whole host of changes after the third Liverpool goal as the likes of Wheatley, Eriksen and Antony have all come on.
Casemiro sends in a cross from the right which looks like it might end up in the far corner but Jaros does well at full stretch to palm it away.
Moments later Liverpool give it away poorly deep inside their own half and Jaros does well to deny Wheatley.
02:06 AM BST
GOAL! Liverpool 3 Manchester United 0
Tsimikas (61’)
Liverpool 3-0 up. They work it really well down the right-hand side as Bradley finds Salah. The Egyptian gives it back to Bradley, who makes a great run into he box. He cuts it back for Jota, whose effort is saved by Onana. The ball falls to Tsimikas. who slots home. Looking back at the replays, Salah looked like he was offside in the build-up but no VAR tonight.
Our third in South Carolina 😁 pic.twitter.com/b6zyHkGK0I
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 4, 2024
02:04 AM BST
59 mins: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0
Sancho tries to work an opening inside the Liverpool box but cannot get a proper shot away.
Liverpool are making a change as Nyoni replaces Jones.
02:02 AM BST
57 mins: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0
The cross comes in from the left for Manchester United and it finds McTominay. Tsimikas slides in to block the initial effort but the ball comes back to McTominary, whose second effort is saved well by Jaros and goes behind for a corner.
The corner is sent in and Bennett wins the header, which is again saved by Jaros.
01:56 AM BST
51 mins: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0
From one end to the other. Manchester United have it at one end as Amad takes a shot that goes nowhere near the goal and then Liverpool break through Salah. He finds Elliott on the right but his ball across is poor and Onana catches it.
01:54 AM BST
49 mins: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0
Casemiro has a shot from the right-hand side of the box, which Jaros saves with ease down to his right.
01:51 AM BST
Second half
There are changes for both sides. For Liverpool it is a double change as Jaros and Van den Berg replace Kelleher and Konate. So Gravenberch is going to play more than 45 minutes.
Manchester United have brought on McTominay, Bennett and Fish for Rashford, Evans and Lindelof.
We are back under way.
01:41 AM BST
Changes?
Arne Slot confirmed before the game that Konate and Gravenberch would only play 45 minutes as this is their first games of pre-season so expect them to come off at half-time.
So there will probably be two Liverpool changes at the break but will Erik ten Hag and Manchester United make any substitutions?
01:31 AM BST
HT
There is the whistle and Liverpool lead 2-0 at the break.
We lead at the interval 💪🟢 pic.twitter.com/Xo16pIURtS
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 4, 2024
01:28 AM BST
42 mins: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0
Collyer makes a good run into the box and is found by Amass. The former shoots from a narrow angle and Kelleher pushes it behind for a corner. Manchester United play it short but nothing comes of it.
01:24 AM BST
39 mins: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0
Liverpool work it really nicely on the right-hand side and Bradley drives into the box. He opts to cut it back instead of shooting and the pass gets intercepted. He should have gone for goal there.
01:22 AM BST
GOAL! Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0
Jones (36’)
Liverpool double their lead. Salah does brilliantly down the right-hand side to beat Collyer and drive into the box. He sends the ball across the six-yard box and Jones is on hand to slot the ball home.
“Liverpool have turned the screw now and shown United what clinical football looks like. Mohamed Salah has really got into the game and United look vulnerable down the left. Moments after being sliced open by incisive Liverpool interplay that culminates in Onana scrambling to punch away Onana’s cross, United found themselves 2-0 down. Collyer had been doing really well but he gave the ball away with a long pass as his team-mates raced forward and it came straight back to Salah, who skipped past the youngster before running to the by-line to square for the onrushing Jones to tap home. A hard lesson for Collyer.”
01:18 AM BST
33 mins: Liverpool 1 Manchester United 0
Jota tries to find Tsimikas on the left-hand side of the box but the Greek full-back is on the stretch and it ends up going through to Onana. A little less weight on the ball from Jota and it would have been perfect for Tsimikas.
01:16 AM BST
31 mins: Liverpool 1 Manchester United 0
“United may be behind to Carvalho’s goal but they’ve been much the better team in the first half an hour and Ten Hag will be encouraged by the fluidity of his team’s attacking play. Youngster Toby Collyer has been excellent in central midfield and Mason Mount, revelling in the No. 10 role, and Marcus Rashford, on the left, have been very lively. Mount has popped up everywhere and his cross for the headed chance Sancho fluffed was a peach. Rashford has turned both Quansah and Elliott inside out and twice gone close. This is the Rashford United fans will hope to see consistently this season.”
01:14 AM BST
29 mins: Liverpool 1 Manchester United 0
Bradley plays a ball in behind and Evans and Onana make a mess of it. Carvalho wins and then earns a corner off Evans. Tsimikas sends it in and Onana makes a mess of the catch. Liverpool keep possession around the Manchester United box and Bradley sends in a first-time cross, but there is far too much on it.
01:11 AM BST
26 mins: Liverpool 1 Manchester United 0
Manchester United have another corner but Liverpool should have had a free-kick down the other end just outside the Manchester United box after Wan-Bissaka shoved Jones in the back. Jones himself heads the corner away from danger.
01:09 AM BST
24 mins: Liverpool 1 Manchester United 0
Chance for Manchester United. Amad cuts it back to Rashford on the right-hand side of the box. The contact is not great but it loops towards the goal, which forces Kelleher to tip it over for a corner.
It comes to Rashford at the back post, who spins and shoots, narrowly missing the far corner.
01:07 AM BST
22 mins: Liverpool 1 Manchester United 0
Sancho should do better there. The ball is sent in from the right but his header goes off target having not got great contact on it.
12:59 AM BST
12 mins: Liverpool 1 Manchester United 0
Nearly an equaliser for Manchester United. Casemiro lifts the ball over the Liverpool defence into the path of an onrushing Mount. He takes one touch and shoots, with Kelleher making a good save to deny him.
Moments later Konate gives the ball away poorly for the second time in this first quarter of an hour and Rashford takes the shot on first-time, but his curling effort goes just wide.
12:55 AM BST
GOAL! Liverpool 1 Manchester United 0
Carvalho (10’)
He scored against Arsenal the other night and he now has two goals in two games. Jota finds in on the edge of the box and he cuts inside Casemiro. He then shoots towards the far corner and, with the aid of a small deflection, finds the bottom corner. 1-0 Liverpool.
12:53 AM BST
8 mins: Liverpool 0 Manchester United 0
Konate gives the ball away poorly inside the Liverpool half and Collyer intercepts. He finds Mount on the right-hand side of the box. Mount takes one touch and fires towards goal, but Kelleher makes a good save to deny him.
12:51 AM BST
6 mins: Liverpool 0 Manchester United 0
Bradley cuts it back to Salah, who tries to lay it off to Jones but the pass is too light and Manchester United can clear.
12:49 AM BST
4 mins: Liverpool 0 Manchester United 0
Amad has the first effort of the night as he cuts onto his left foot on the right-hand side of the box but his effort is high and wide.
12:45 AM BST
Kick-off
We are under way in South Carolina.
12:39 AM BST
Kick-off fast approaching
Both sides emerge from the tunnel and we are just moments away from kick-off in South Carolina.
“The giant screen in the stadium has been showing footage of past United-Liverpool games interspersed with footage from the Gamecock’s game in front of full houses here. It’s a remarkable place and gives you some insight into the popularity and scale of college American football in the US.”
12:38 AM BST
Mac Allister with the Liverpool squad
Fresh from winning the Copa America with Argentina this summer, Alexis Mac Allister has returned to training with Liverpool but does not feature tonight as he only linked up with the squad yesterday. Plenty of time to sign some autographs then!
12:35 AM BST
Reminder of the team news
Liverpool: Kelleher, Bradley, Quansah, Konate, Tsimikas, Jones, Gravenberch, Elliott, Salah, Carvalho, Jota.
Substitutes: Jaros, Van den Berg, Endo, Bajcetic, Morton, Doak, Chambers, Phillips, Blair, Stephenson, Nyoni.
Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Evans, Collyer, Amass, Casmerio, Mount, Amad, Sancho, Rashford.
Substitutes: Heaton, Vitek, Bennett, Fish, Murray, Eriksen, Fletcher, Hannibal, Mather, McTominay, Oyedele, Scanlon, Antony, Wheatley.
12:28 AM BST
Today’s stage
The home of the South Carolina Gamecocks in college football, the capacity is just over 77,000. It opened back in October 1934 but has had plenty of money spent on renovations over the years.
12:22 AM BST
Battle of the Dutch
“This is the first meeting between Ten Hag and Arne Slot since the latter replaced Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager. The Dutchmen are familiar to each other, though.
“Slot came out on top when his AZ Alkmaar team beat Ten Hag’s Ajax home and away in the 2019/20 season but the more recent head-to-heads between the Dutch coaches have gone Ten Hag’s way. Ten Hag’s Ajax beat Slot’s Feyenoord 2-0 at De Kuip and 3-2 in Amsterdam in 2022. Ajax twice came from behind with Antony - now at United - claiming the winner in the 86th minute before being sent off after receiving two yellows, one for taking his shirt off in celebration, the other for time wasting.
“Ten Hag discussed Slot in a recent interview with AD and believes his countryman will prove a good fit for Liverpool.
“We’ve played against each other before, of course, but I think that’s really great. Also for Dutch football, for our coach training,” Ten Hag said. “I think the fact that there are now two Dutch managers at the helm at Liverpool and Manchester United is fantastic for our football.
“It is fantastic what Arne has achieved at Feyenoord, how he has helped that club get back on track, and the football that Liverpool prefers to play also suits Arne Slot completely. I think it’s a very good match.”
12:15 AM BST
No Szoboszlai for Liverpool
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has been speaking pre-match and confirmed that Dominik Szoboszlai has been rested tonight. Liverpool are due to fly home after tonight’s match and with the number of training sessions and minutes the Hungarian has been involved in, Slot did not want to take any risks with this game coming just a few days after the Arsenal game in Philadelphia.
12:11 AM BST
Manchester United targeting Bayern Munich duo
Erik ten Hag is looking to add centre-back Matthijs de Ligt and right-back Noussair Mazraoui in this transfer window. Manchester United have had a joint bid for the two players rejected by Bayern Munich but remain in talks. James Ducker has the latest on Manchester United’s pursuit of the duo.
12:03 AM BST
Risk of thunderstorms
As you can see from this picture, there has been plenty of rain in South Carolina today and there is a risk of thunderstorms. If there is any lightning within eight miles of the stadium, there will be an automatic 30-minute delay.
12:01 AM BST
Manchester United arriving
Arriving in South Carolina 🇺🇸 #MUFC || #MUTOUR24 pic.twitter.com/1wSEXNmFlN
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 3, 2024
11:59 PM BST
Konate and Gravenberch in
They make their first appearances of Liverpool’s US tour having joined up with the squad after Euro 2024 at the start of the week.
In the XI 💪 pic.twitter.com/GAe2HWiiHF
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 3, 2024
11:52 PM BST
James Ducker on X
#MUFC v #LFC at the Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. A lot of fans here! pic.twitter.com/5iOVgict94
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) August 3, 2024
Williams-Brice Stadium where #MUFC play #LFC in just under 3 hours. South Carolina Gamecocks play here - college American football team. Stadium holds 77,000. It's bigger than Old Trafford pic.twitter.com/ixUMt39LnM
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) August 3, 2024
Manchester style weather pic.twitter.com/8Qv1BDcmKT
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) August 3, 2024
11:49 PM BST
No Maguire for Manchester United but Rashford fit
“Marcus Rashford is fit enough to start after his injury scare against Real Betis in San Diego. Harry Maguire will not feature against Liverpool with his absence a precaution. Erik ten Hag is clearly taking no chances with the fitness of his centre-halves after Leny Yoro’s injury. The United manager hopes to add another central defender before the close of the window but the club’s joint bid for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazrouai was rejected by Bayern Munich on Thursday.”
11:46 PM BST
Manchester United team news
🚨 Erik's Reds for our final #MUTOUR24 fixture...#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 3, 2024
11:45 PM BST
Liverpool team news
How we line up to take on Manchester United in South Carolina ✊🟢
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 3, 2024
05:35 PM BST
Match preview
Good evening and welcome to coverage of the pre-season game between Liverpool and Manchester United from South Carolina. We are just a couple of weeks away from the start of the new Premier League season so pre-season preparations are ramping up.
Liverpool have won two games from two on their US tour; a 1-0 win over Real Betis in Pittsburgh followed by a 2-1 win against Arsenal in Philadelphia. Tonight’s match is their final game on tour before flying home. They face Sevilla and Las Palmas at Anfield on Sunday 11th August before their Premier League opener at Ipswich on the opening weekend of the new season. Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch are set to make their first appearances of the tour having joined up with the squad at the start of the week, with head coach Arne Slot confirming they will both play 45 minutes tonight.
Copa America winner Alexis Mac Allister has joined up with the squad in South Carolina but will not play tonight. The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold will join up with the rest of the squad on Merseyside at the start of the coming week week when they return home from the USA.
Manchester United’s tour has been blighted by significant injury blows. New signing Lenny Yoro is set to miss at least three months with a suspected fractured metatarsal and Rasmus Hojlund could miss six weeks with a hamstring injury. Erik ten Hag has also confirmed that left-back Tyrell Malacia, who missed the entirety of last season with a knee injury, is unlikely to be ready to play again for another two months. Marcus Rashford and Antony are doubts for tonight after picking up knocks. Scott McTominay, who is on the tour, has been the subject of a bid from Fulham, with his future up in the air.
Their tour began with a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in Los Angeles before a 3-2 victory over Real Betis in San Diego. Tonight is their final match on tour before playing in the Community Shield next weekend against Manchester City. They play in the opening game of the new season against Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday 16th August.
Team news to follow shortly.
