A contrasting sports update for Liverpool and Manchester this week. We take a look at if Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool can rise back to the top and challenge for the Premier League title. In Manchester, we ask how much does United boss Erik ten Hag have to take blame for, in their current poor run of form and subsequently shocking start to the season.
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00:00 So, Will, looking at Liverpool and the total races this season,
00:04 I mean, it's so competitive at the top again.
00:06 Are Liverpool nearing Manchester City, the standards that they've set?
00:10 Can they sort of match that over the course of this season?
00:13 Because so far it's looking so good for them.
00:17 It is very competitive and obviously Liverpool have gone to Tottenham Hotspur City
00:20 for a few seasons in the past, didn't keep up last campaign.
00:25 I don't think anyone quite expected Liverpool to make this start of the season,
00:30 maybe end of the season, in this sort of form,
00:32 United 4s, when everything clicked together.
00:35 I think even Jürgen Klopp and his coaching staff are surprised
00:37 by how well Liverpool are doing so far.
00:40 Three points off the Premier League lead at Tottenham,
00:44 and you think back to that Tottenham game where it was riddles and controversy,
00:47 Liverpool conceded a last-minute own goal.
00:51 It could well have been a two-point swing there if Liverpool had got a point.
00:56 Liverpool's main, I've said it all season,
00:58 their main goal is to get back into the top four,
01:01 get back into the Champions League and the revenue that brings with it.
01:05 But Liverpool's squad now is so deep,
01:08 they've got players who are capable of playing in the Premier League,
01:13 and then they've got almost a difference of 11 who are playing in the cup competitions.
01:16 That doesn't normally happen for Liverpool in the Champions League.
01:20 So, we have this Thursday-Sunday thing that people say hinders us,
01:25 but it's actually benefiting Liverpool so far.
01:27 And if they can keep plugging away, if they get to Christmas,
01:30 then there's certainly even a chance that they can keep it up after that.
01:33 Eric Ten Haag had a debut season to remember in the Red Devils' recent history.
01:43 It seemed all the Dutchman stood for was flowing onto the pitch throughout the season,
01:48 but it's no secret that questions were being asked of the consistency,
01:52 especially away from home.
01:54 As they've started the season in similar fashion to that under previous managers,
01:59 how much of the current situation could fall on the United boss?
02:04 You know, you just said there there's no identity to the way they play.
02:07 That is the problem at the moment, that if at least, you know,
02:12 you knew what they were trying to do and it wasn't working out,
02:15 well, you know, there'd be some optimistic signs, some signs of positivity.
02:20 I mean, I think, for instance, back to Mikel Octeta,
02:23 this time two years ago when it wasn't going well in Arsenal,
02:25 I think fans knew at least what he wanted to do, what he was trying to achieve.
02:28 It looks like, you know, he is just,
02:32 these 11 players have just met in the car park beforehand
02:34 and said, right, we're going to play a game.
02:36 There's no, there's just no interplay at all.
02:40 And I don't think United can ever be competitive
02:42 while the Glazers are running the club the way that they are.
02:45 But at the same time, it doesn't excuse the way that United are playing on the pitch.
02:48 And Tenehag's not doing it.
02:50 He's simply not doing a good enough job at the moment.
02:52 It is just as simple as that.
02:54 And to come out after the game and say that they're on,
02:57 that they're progressing and that they're moving up,
03:00 they're on a kind of an upwards trajectory at the moment, United,
03:03 it's just baffling.