Paul Fennessy

LIVERPOOL AND Man United go into today’s FA Cup tie at Old Trafford on the back of contrasting seasons.

The Reds have already won the League Cup and could potentially claim the quadruple as they currently trail Premier League leaders Arsenal on goal difference.

By contrast, for United, an FA Cup win looks increasingly like the only way they can salvage a disappointing season.

Even a Champions League spot is beginning to seem unlikely for the Red Devils, with rivals Tottenham and Aston Villa securing breathing space in the table with 10 games to go.

At least one of the two teams’ managers will leave at the end of the season, with Jurgen Klopp recently announcing his intention to depart after an eight-and-a-half-year spell.

Yet Erik Ten Hag’s future is also far from certain — following his investment, part-owner Jim Ratcliffe may look to appoint a new coach.

As much as it will pain them to do so, United must now look at Klopp’s Liverpool as an ideal model to follow.

Red Devils fans will argue they have finished above the Anfield outfit in the table in three of the last six seasons. However, just one of these two bitter rivals has genuinely challenged Man City’s dominance in recent years while regularly contending for the Champions League, winning one of the three finals they appeared in.

Since Klopp’s appointment in October 2015, United have had parted ways with three permanent managers — Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

There was hope that Ten Hag could be the Red Devils’ Klopp-esque figure, particularly after an encouraging debut season in which the club won the EFL Cup and came third in the league.

But those great expectations have diminished significantly since, with United going backwards this season with a series of inept displays and sub-par results.

When it comes down to it, one of the most simple and obvious differences between Klopp’s Liverpool and Ten Hag’s United has been in recruitment.

Below is a brief comparison by way of major signings — and by major, we are counting loan signings and essentially anyone bought who was deemed ready to play in the first team as opposed to a teenager who would spend time in the youth setup.

Consider the first 13 first-team signings of Klopp’s tenure — Marko Grujic, Steven Caulker, Joel Matip, Loris Karius, Sadio Mane, Ragnar Klavan, Georginio Wijnaldum, Mo Salah, Dominic Solanke, Andy Robertson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho/Naby Keita (both signed on same day).

Granted, not all those players were unequivocal successes, but at least seven became integral to the Klopp revolution.

As you will see below, Ten Hag’s signings have not had the same instantaneous effect for the most part.

And that may end up being the primary difference between Klopp leaving the Reds as a club legend this summer and Ten Hag departing Old Trafford as another post-Fergie-era manager who didn’t quite work out.

13. Sofyan Amrabat (4/10) – Loan

One of the surprise stars of the 2022 World Cup with Morocco, Amrabat has been unable to replicate that form in English football. A Deadline Day loan signing from Fiorentina, the 27-year-old has made 14 top-flight appearances but only seven have been starts. It seems very unlikely that United will pursue a permanent deal at the end of the season, with Amrabat’s presence overshadowed by the emergence of 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo from the youth ranks.

12. Antony (4/10) – €95 million

For a player signed for €95 million plus a potential €5 million in add-ons, much more was expected of Antony. He has been given plenty of chances with 47 Premier League appearances, but it has never quite clicked for the former Ajax man. Ten Hag has been one of Antony’s biggest supporters but even he appears to be losing faith. The winger has made 22 Premier League appearances this season, 11 as a substitute, even with Jadon Sancho exiled. 19-year-old youth product Alejandro Garnacho is one of the players ahead of him on the pecking order.

11. Sergio Reguilón (5/10) – Loan

Another Deadline Day signing, Reguilón was brought in on loan from Tottenham where he appears to be surplus to requirements as cover for the injured Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. It was meant to be a season-long loan but the fact that the left-back returned to his parent club in January gives a sense of how badly it went. The 27-year-old made just nine Premier League appearances for the Red Devils, with the last of his four starts the 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth.

10. Marcel Sabitzer (5/10) – Loan

Another Deadline Day stop-gap signing. Sabitzer joined on loan from Bayern Munich at the end of the January 2023 window after Christian Eriksen was ruled out for a substantial period. The 29-year-old, who now plays for Borussia Dortmund, struggled to make much of an impact in his 11 Premier League appearances, seven of which were starts. It was therefore no surprise when United opted against making the move permanent.

9. Tyrell Malacia (5/10) - €18 million

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Bought for €18 million from Feyenoord in July 2022, Malacia did have some encouraging moments in his debut campaign, making 22 Premier League appearances and 14 starts. However, this season has been a disaster owing to long-term injury problems that mean he has yet to play a single minute of action. Even if fit, another injury-prone player Luke Shaw would likely be ahead of him when available.

8. Wout Weghorst (5/10) – Loan

Another signing who it always felt would be short-term, nonetheless, Weghorst still enjoyed plenty of game time in his half-season at Old Trafford. The Dutch international earned praise for his work ethic but the fact that the 31-year-old didn’t score a single goal in 17 Premier League appearances goes some way towards explaining why he was never going to be a long-term answer to United’s problems. He is technically still a Burnley player but has spent this season in the Bundesliga with TSG Hoffenheim, scoring five goals in 20 appearances.

7. Mason Mount (5/10) – €63 million

Mount still cannot be judged definitively given how rarely he has played. The 25-year-old did well enough at Chelsea to earn a move to their Premier League rivals. He was ostensibly acquired as an upgrade on the ageing Christian Eriksen and signed for a reported fee of €63 million in June. He may yet come good but with only four Premier League starts to his name, the England international still has plenty to prove.

6. Jonny Evans (6/10) – Free

After failing to prevent Leicester City’s Premier League relegation last season and being released by the Foxes, Evans would have been forgiven for thinking his days as a top-level footballer were over. When the 36-year-old re-signed a one-year deal on Deadline Day of the summer transfer window, he was seen as a backup at best. Yet the Northern Ireland international has received much more game time than expected and performed reasonably well — featuring 18 times in the Premier League this season — although the fact that United are so reliant on a veteran deemed not good enough for the club when he originally left in August 2015 gives some indication of the club’s problematic recruitment model and squad depth issues.

5. Christian Eriksen (6/10) – Free

It’s unlikely that Ten Hag regrets signing Eriksen, particularly as he was brought in on a free transfer. The Danish international has made 44 Premier League appearances since joining the Red Devils. And his creativity has been an asset at times. However, the former Tottenham man has increasingly felt like a peripheral figure — he has made 16 top-flight appearances this season, seven of those were as a substitute and the 32-year-old often does not complete 90 minutes. Moreover, one of the main accusations levelled at Ten Hag’s United is that they are too easy to play against and Eriksen is often culpable in this regard — for all his talent, tackling and running power are not among his fortes.

4. André Onana (6/10) – €52 million

Another player who enjoyed success with Ten Hag at Ajax, Onana’s first season at Man United has been decidedly mixed. The Cameroon international has pulled off several great saves and produced some good performances, but has also looked error-prone at times, and was especially at fault in the Champions League where costly points dropped against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray contributed to Ten Hag’s underachievers exiting in competition’s group stages.

3. Casemiro (6/10) – €61 million

You could argue Casemiro was worthy of an 8/10 last season, but this year, he has been closer to a five. The 32-year-old has not had the same impact as in his debut campaign with injury problems a factor. Yet he is still a player Ten Hag trusts when available — all 15 of his Premier League appearances this season have been starts — and will likely be key if United are to turn the season around from its current unpromising position.

2. Lisandro Martínez (7/10) – €66 million

Among the few Ten Hag signings to look impressive more often than not. Martinez made 27 appearances in his first season following a move from Ajax and was a key reason United exceeded expectations to finish third last year. However, he is another of the recruits who has struggled badly with injuries, meaning the Argentina international has made just eight Premier League appearances this term. As a result, United have had to rely on players such as Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire to boost their depleted backline.

1. Rasmus Højlund (7/10) – €75 million

Arguably the best signing of the Ten Hag era thus far. At just 21, Højlund’s potential is enormous. After signing for an initial €75 million, it was perhaps no surprise that the youngster had a slow start to life at Old Trafford.  The weight of expectation surely contributed to his failure to score in his first 14 games as a Premier League player. Yet since then, he has hit a hot streak, with a remarkable haul of seven goals in six top-flight appearances. Unfortunately, an injury suffered last month put paid to that run and it is no coincidence that United’s form has also declined since then.