WHEN you hit rock bottom at least you can’t go any lower — so there’s a rare spot of good news for Manchester United at least.
Let’s face it, it’s been in short supply… bottom of the table, not a point on the board and the whole club in need of a complete overhaul.
Erik ten Hag has suffered a nightmare start at Man Utd
Ten Hag has seen his side lose to Brighton and get smashed by Brentford
So surely you’d have to be mad to suggest there couldn’t be a better time to play their massive rivals Liverpool, the team who put NINE past them last season.
Well, I’ve been called plenty worse over the years and no doubt will be again now.
Because not only do I see it as the perfect game for United but I really can’t see them getting beaten.
Everyone seems to think it is a case of how many. They’re talking of a three, four or five-goal win for Liverpool. You’ll struggle to find anyone tipping anything but an away victory.
But, for me, that puts United in a no-lose situation — and I certainly don’t think they will lose at Old Trafford tomorrow night.
First and foremost, while they have been shocking in their two games, Liverpool haven’t set the world on fire either.
Fulham were good value for a point and the Reds only started playing against Crystal Palace — and got a draw — when they went down to ten men.
Look, if United were playing a Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Southampton or whoever tomorrow, the pressure would be unbelievable. That really would be a hiding to nothing.
But against Liverpool the place will be bouncing, the fans will be right up for it and these players won’t want to be ridiculed again with the whole world watching.
It comes down to picking the right team… and for Erik ten Hag that means swallowing a bit of pride.
I know he wants to play great football but it’s not all about tactics and systems and fancy plans. Sometimes it’s as basic as simply running about.
When I went back to Portsmouth in 2005, I took over a bad side which was in real trouble and had only won twice by December.
I looked at the stats and we were getting outrun every week.
While plenty of teams were better than us, there was no excuse for that.
So each Monday I’d have the board out, highlighting how much ground they’d covered individually and as a unit.
Suddenly there was no hiding place for them — and you know what? The running stats went through the roof, we were the ones outrunning opponents and the results were incredible.
We stayed up that season because of hard work — and that’s what can get United something against Liverpool.
They have to roll up their sleeves, get in their faces, chase the ball, crowd them out, don’t give them space, steam into tackles and bully them.
They have to run like they’ve never run before — certainly not this season — and have no excuses come the final whistle.
Ten Hag has to pick 11 players who are ready to give everything. And if they do, Old Trafford will be on fire.
Harry Redknapp says even Pep Guardiola would struggle with this Man Utd squad
Redknapp still thinks United will get a result against Liverpool on Monday
Before anyone thinks otherwise, I’m not suggesting that getting a result against the old enemy would cure everything. There is way, way too much work to be done for that.
How many of this lot would have got in the team ten or 12 years ago? They’re seven or eight players short and it is going to take years to fix.
The manager is getting stick — and I do think he made a rick in signing a 5ft 9in centre-back in Lisandro Martinez — but it goes way deeper than that.
Put Pep Guardiola in charge of that lot and he’d have no chance without a load of reinforcements. United are so far off the top, it’s scary.
Whoever is in charge of recruitment at Old Trafford needs to have a look at themselves, because it’s been non-existent.
United spent heavily but then started looking at Marko Arnautovic. My God! I had to check he was still playing.
Mind you, making mistakes — like at Brentford — doesn’t help. A manager may want to play from the back but if the opposition presses, you have to rely on common sense at times.
United lack someone to run the game, be a leader, make them play… and they’ve been very easy to play against.
There’s no better place or time to change that than against Liverpool at Old Trafford and they have to be fired up to fight for their lives. And you know what? I think they will.
