Erik ten Hag to come under greater pressure if Manchester United lose badly at Liverpool

Erik ten Hag is expected to come under greater pressure at Manchester United if they lose badly to Liverpool on Sunday.

Well-placed sources say Ten Hag’s position will be viewed as weaker if they suffer a third successive defeat at Anfield.

Barring another annihilation by their greatest rivals, Ten Hag is still expected to remain in charge for the fixture away to West Ham United on December 23.

Sources indicate United football director John Murtough has no intention of seeking Ten Hag's dismissal while interim chief executive Patrick Stewart is not empowered to make such a major decision.

With United in a state of flux as the Ineos Group seek to ratify their 25% stake, co-chairman Joel Glazer is effectively the sole power-broker who could initiate a change of manager before the completion of the strategic review.

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United are winless at Liverpool in their last eight matches and have only managed one goal during that stretch. Liverpool have scored 18 times and thrashed United 4-0 and 7-0 in the last two seasons.

Jose Mourinho was sacked two days after United lost 3-1 at Anfield in December 2018 while the United power brokers set about formulating a succession plan for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the infamous 5-0 humbling by Liverpool at Old Trafford in October 2021. The Norwegian was dismissed four weeks later.

The positions of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal were also weakened by losses to Liverpool. United limply lost their Europa League round-of-16 second leg 2-0 at Anfield in March 2016 and Liverpool schooled Moyes’s United 3-0 at Old Trafford in March 2014. Moyes was pilloried