In order to prevent a recurrence of the 7-0 humiliation from the previous season, Manchester United veteran Gary Neville has advised the Red Devils to display bravery in their forthcoming match against Liverpool.
On Sunday, December 17, Erik ten Hag and company travel to Anfield to play Liverpool in the Premier League. It will be a difficult trip. The Red Devils have lost 11 of their 23 games this season across all competitions, most recently an embarrassing 3-0 setback to AFC Bournemouth.
Liverpool is the clear favorite to win all three points on Sunday after their strong performance in previous weeks. Gary Neville is concerned that the Merseysiders may win by a significant margin, akin to their 7-0 victory at Anfield last season, given Manchester United’s defensive shortcomings this season.
Neville stated through METRO:
“If you’re a United fan you’ve got a feeling that you’re going to get beat up and you’re going to get done in properly because of 7-0 last season and the way in which they’re playing at the moment.”Not everything goes as planned, and this week Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool players won’t be sitting there thinking, ‘oh here we go, this is easy pickings,’ I’m sure of it. In football, things don’t work like that.”
He continued, saying:
“Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool are a skilled team who have performed well over a seven-year span, and it is what Manchester United needs to dread most. The fact that this Manchester United team lacks the ability to surprise us worries me.”
“They lack the leadership and skill necessary to play at Anfield, which is a terrible place for a United player to be. It can be a bear hole regardless of the team you are on or how successful you are—whether you are a championship-winning squad or the sixth-place club in the league.”
In closing, he exhorted the Red Devils to play bravely:
“It can swallow you up and if those players don’t stand up and stick that chest out next week and they don’t take the ball and show courage, it will eat you alive and that’s what they’ve got to prepare for this week: Courage to play.”
Liverpool hasn’t lost at Anfield to Manchester United since January 2016, and they have only lost twice in their last 11 meetings with them.