Erik ten Hag's foul-mouthed Liverpool blast can inspire repeat of one of his greatest Manchester United days

The creator and scorer of Manchester United's first goal against Liverpool under Erik ten Hag are both long gone. Anthony Elanga was sold and Jadon Sancho exiled and then loaned.

Marcus Rashford slotted in the winner on that balmy and uproarious evening in August 2022. It was the night of Ten Hag's first win as United manager and Liverpool's first domestic defeat that calendar year.

Ten Hag said on live television afterwards: "They (the players) can play f-----g football.". Away from the cameras, he used the same expletive: "F-----g hell." He used the same words nine days earlier when he was reeling from United's generational nadir at Brentford. The words now had a different meaning.

United players were hauled in for training the day after the Brentford debacle and Ten Hag joined them on a punishing 13.8 kilometre run in 30-degree heat. An eyewitness said the players were "ruined".

He then decisively settled on four changes to the team: Raphael Varane, Tyrell Malacia, Scott McTominay and Anthony Elanga in for Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Fred and Cristiano Ronaldo. The demotions of captain Maguire and talisman Ronaldo were especially significant. It marked the beginning of the end for Ronaldo at United and Maguire was stripped of the captaincy 11 months later.

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Sancho's goal elicited a roar unlike any other this correspondent has heard at Old Trafford. The online footage does not do it justice. One of the United analysts celebrated so wildly he punched a desk and sent a colleague's coffee cup flying.

Casemiro was unveiled on the pitch that night and the £70million signing was an afterthought