Erik ten Hag blasts Manchester United players after Liverpool thrashing

Erik ten Hag slated the Manchester United players for failing to "fulfil their jobs" and "stick together" during their astonishing capitulation against Liverpool.

United were thrashed 7-0 for only the fourth time in their history at Anfield in what was their first defeat by the scoreline since 1931, despite trailing only 1-0 at the pause.

Liverpool scored twice in the first five minutes of the second half to kill the contest and added four more goals to inflict United's worst defeat in the Premier League era.

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United were thumped 4-0 at Brentford in August and Ten Hag hauled the players in for a punishing run the next day in 30-degree heat. He suggested a similar punishment was unlikely as United had performed respectably in the first 45 minutes at Anfield.

"The result is quite obvious," Ten Hag said. "It's unprofessional. But I think it's a huge difference. In Brentford, we were 4-0 down at half-time, we started the game very bad.

"Today, first half, I think we were the better team. First half, we created the better chances and we had two one-on-ones with the goalie and they hadn't. Before half time, we made one mistake, organisation, concede a goal. And so I think we were in the game.

"So it was a real surprise to me after half time so quickly gave the game away. First two goals two defensive transition moments, first was a turnover, second was a counter. Bad decisions. Decisions on the ball, that was on the first one, obviously.

"But how we anticipate, how we concede the goal is really annoying and then the third was a counter, also so unprofessional about decisions: following in, running in, moving forward, giving the space away in the back end of