Man United vs Liverpool

Man United beat Liverpool in their first pre-season friendly of the summer at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok and here are how the players rated.

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Erik ten Hag will have been satisfied by the tactical patterns evident in his side's four-goal victory over Liverpool during their pre-season encounter in ...

United's wide forwards were encouraged to make full width of the pitch to allow underlapping runs from their full-backs. Varane and Victor Lindelof were both comfortable with this technical demand, but so too were Eric Bailly and Alex Telles in the second half. This was evident particularly in the first half, with Raphael Varane winning a tackle early in Liverpool's half – an indication of how much players were encouraged to push forward. This ensures that their opponent will have no time on the ball and fewer spaces to play within, meaning greater risk for the opposition. This was notable throughout the game and it prompted multiple forced individual mistakes in their opponent's defence, leading to huge opportunities. Jadon Sancho, Fred and Anthony Martial all netted first-half goals to put United in control of the match before substitute Facundo Pellestri added a fourth late on.

Eric Bailly's performance in Manchester United's victory over Liverpool summed up the Ivorian defender's chaotic brilliance in a nutshell.

With six senior centre backs currently on the books and the Martinez deal reportedly edging closer, United will inevitably have to move some people on. In reality, Eric Bailly’s performance against Liverpool has certainly earned him more minutes on the tour going forward, especially with Harry Maguire still shaking off a knock. The Ivorian has talent and ability to defend in abundance. However, there is every chance Ten Hag was just as impressed with Bailly’s display as the United faithful. Defensively, Bailly was at the heart of it all – showing just how much value he could potentially bring to United with his nous, agility, and calculated aggression. They won the league and reached the domestic cup final together. Other than his first season at the club in 2016/17, when Bailly played 38 times in all competitions under Jose Mourinho, he has only cracked the 20-game mark once (2020/21) with 21. This has by far been Bailly’s biggest problem at United – putting together a run of games. There was an uncharacteristic calmness about the Ivorian. His experience and leadership skills showed. A physical specimen, the former Benfica man made an underwhelming debut for Klopp’s side, largely thanks to Bailly’s efforts. But United were relentless in their pursuit of victory despite it only being the premiere preseason fixture. Bailly showed out with several excellent interceptions, reading the game expertly at times.

Robbie Savage expressed his pride after watching his son, Charlie, produce a composed performance for Man Utd v Liverpool during Tuesday's pre-season ...

What a proud day for me, his mother, his nana, his grandparents and most importantly for that boy there: Charlie Savage. What an amazing moment for him.” He’s a great player and has a wonderful left foot. “He’s a great kid and he’ll do everything. His nan at home will be in tears now. “He’s playing against Liverpool there. Finally a savage that can play.’

Man United pair Zidane Iqbal and Charlie Savage impressed with their performances in the 4-0 victory over Liverpool.

So, I’d just like to say thank you. “I’d just like to say a massive thank you. For me, it’s a privilege to be on this tour and to get the win was extra special tonight.

The youngster came on as a second half substitute and impressed in the heart of United's midfield, despite coming up against the quality of the likes of ...

Although the pass was intercepted, it was an impressive passage of play to go with a standout performance from Iqbal. On the ball, he was both composed but also purposeful, often avoiding short safe passes and instead looking to play more penetrative forward balls to attacking teammates ahead. Big things are expected of the youngster, and his second-half display against Liverpool on Tuesday provided an insight as to why.

Manchester United beat Liverpool in Bangkok, Thailand as Erik ten Hag's first game in charge was a commanding friendly win to kick off preseason.

Diogo Dalot then smashed the woodwork after a fine run down the right as United kept surging forward. That is exactly what Erik ten Hag wants and with Cristiano Ronaldo, would United get that kind of fluid movement up top in the final third? Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial shine as Ronaldo-less United may be the way to go: Fluidity is key for Erik ten Hag’s tactics and we saw that in abundance in the first half. Klopp will have learned a lot about his fringe players and youngsters in that tough first half against a close to full strength United. That is what preseason is all about. United’s starting lineup was very strong and yes, this was a friendly, but it was also a clear view of how this United side will play under ETH. As first impressions go, it doesn’t get much better than this. Jadon Sancho, Fred and Anthony Martial all scored within 21 first half minutes to put United 3-0 up and they looked sharper throughout.