Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said Erik ten Haag was “clinging at straws” in his post-match interview, with the specialist undergoing damage-limitation training ahead of Manchester United’s trip to Anfield on Sunday.
Kingsley Coman’s goal was enough to win for United. United needed to win the game to have any chance of progressing. As it turns out, a win for Copenhagen after beating Galatasaray in their other Group A game would knock them out of the Champions League, but would at least mean United would be relegated to the Europa League.
Club legend Peter Schmeichel said United were “mediocre” at best as they rarely dropped the gloves against the German giants at Old Trafford, but the ten Hag insisted his side were “very good” in defeat. The Red Devils travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday as pressure mounts on Ten Hag, who lost 7-0 in last season’s match.
Carragher believes the United manager’s post-match comments came from someone practicing damage control. .”I think Manchester United have been in a very bad situation this season,” he told CBS Sports. “We’re playing against one of the best teams in Europe and we don’t have any players injured.”
“I think it’s almost an event because you haven’t lost 3-0 or 4-0 yet. 1-0 is really good.”You are in the game for an hour. He’ll probably watch the game and think we’re still in it, which is almost a mild feel good factor.
“If you’ve lost 3-0 against Bournemouth, now you’re playing against one of the biggest names in European football and if you’ve only lost 1-0, he’ll try to get something and play.
“That will be a message to the players: ‘You played against one of the best teams in Europe and anything can happen. Now we have to go to Anfield and try to do something.” “The results look very difficult on paper, but I think the manager knows the straw.”
