Liverpool embarrass United yet again

I suppose there’s nowhere else to start other than with THAT game on Sunday.

It pains me to say, but these big defeats at the hand of our bitterest rivals are becoming all too common.

United have won just ONE of the last 13 Premier League meetings with Liverpool, losing seven and drawing the other five.

During that six-year period, we’ve been thrashed 5-0, 4-0, 7-0 and now 3-0. It goes without saying, that’s not at all good enough for this great football club for whom such losses used to be a rarity.

Exactly as I predicted in last week’s column, the pressure on boss Erik ten Hag has increased tenfold in the wake of Sunday’s performance – and the likes of Casemiro and Marcus Rashford, to name just a couple, are coming under heavy scrutiny too.

Regular readers will know that Marcus is one of, if not my favourite player of the modern era, but even I can’t deny that he’s miles off it right now. He looks devoid of confidence and the Old Trafford faithful are starting to lose patience in the 26-year-old.

Fans feel the need to put blame on individuals, be it the manager or one of his players, when things aren’t going well but the reality is that football is a team sport and the responsibility has to be shared.

Sure, Casemiro did make two howlers that led to Liverpool’s first two goals, but it’s not like the rest of the players on the pitch were covering themselves in glory at the same time.

Thankfully, it’s an international break which would normally be said with a deep sigh, but I see it as a couple of weeks to put what’s been a sobering start to the season behind us and begin anew with a trip to Southampton on September 14.

The week off comes at a bad time for our noisy neighbours City, who have won all three of their opening games thanks in large part to that man Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian superstar has bagged SEVEN times already. He would end the season with a tally of 84 were he to maintain this pace.

It’s ominous for the Blues’ rivals that he’s started in this fashion – as is Pep Guardiola’s declaration that “pre-season is over” and “the real season starts after the international break.”

City are 11/10 favourites at Betfred to win a record-extending fifth Premier League title in a row.

Arsenal, who dropped points at home to Brighton last weekend, are second favourites at 2/1 and Liverpool, who are also unbeaten and yet to concede a single goal under new gaffer Arne Slot, are not far behind at 9/2.

Chelsea, Newcastle and Spurs are all available at 33/1, while United have drifted all the way out to 50/1 after Sunday’s horror-show.