Manchester United are getting ready for another trip to Anfield and supporters will be forgiven for fearing the worst going into this year’s edition of the storied rivalry.
United are consistently inconsistent this season and after going on a reasonably good run and being within touching distance of the Champions League places, which must be the aim now, the mood has now dropped once more.
That comes after an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth and the subsequent elimination from the Champions League, with the Reds finishing bottom of their group with just four points from six games.
A trip to Anfield could not come at a worse time for United and in the build-up, opposing supporters have been quick to remind their rivals that the stats are not in United’s favour.
The 16th of December this year, the date of writing, marks five years since Jose Mourinho’s final game in charge of the club – a 3-1 loss at Anfield. That happens to be the last time United scored a goal at Anfield, failing to do so in the four visits that followed.
That is the one stat Ten Hag will be desperate to change. It simply does not read well to learn that Jesse Lingard was the last United player to score at Anfield.
Lingard’s rebound strike that day at Anfield is the only goal since Louis van Gaal guided the Reds to a 1-0 win at Anfield in January 2016.
The odds are stacked against United this time as well but in truth, the players have got very little to lose.
