Jurgen Klopp has already told prospective Manchester United owners how Erik ten Hag can succeed

When it has come to the challenge of trying to stop Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, it is a battle that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has lost more than he was won.

The Dutchman, who is still to add to his squad in this summer's transfer window, has faced Klopp four times in his managerial career, losing on three of those occasions. He was beaten twice by the former Borussia Dortmund boss during his time at Ajax and watched his United side collapse in dramatic fashion at Anfield back in March.

The only success he has so far sampled against the Liverpool chief was when he recorded his first victory as United manager last August, overseeing a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. That marked the turning point in the Reds' fortunes and they have not looked back since.

But despite struggling to get the better of Klopp, currently trailing him 3-1 on aggregate in terms of defeats, Ten Hag has often been on the receiving end of lashings of praise from the 56-year-old. The Liverpool boss, prior to his side beating United 7-0 a few months ago, admitted he was not surprised by Ten Hag's impact in M16.

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Klopp said: "I didn't think too much about it. Surprised, probably not."

After inheriting a sinking ship last summer, Ten Hag knew he faced an uphill struggle to get United going again. Achieving a top four finish and winning the League Cup in his first season in charge offered plenty of encouragement that he can take them back to the very top of English football over time.

However, that is not to say he can do it all by himself. The Dutchman was a popular choice among the supporters to become United's next manager after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer departed in November 2021.