Liverpool 7-0 Man Utd: Erik ten Hag says his side ‘lost our heads’ in Anfield thrashing

The defeat was United’s heaviest in a competitive match, while it was Liverpool’s biggest win against their rivals.

Ten Hag’s side were 1-0 down at the break before conceding six goals in the second half at Anfield.

“We weren’t in the second half. It wasn’t our level. We didn’t play as a team,” said Ten Hag.

When asked if he was angry with his side’s second-half performance, he added: “Yes, definitely, and surprised because over the past few weeks and months I’ve seen a team that’s resilient and determined and a has a winning mentality.

“We didn’t stick to the plan, we lost our heads. We didn’t do our job. We didn’t trace and it was really unprofessional.”

Ten Hag took over at United last summer, suffering a 4-0 defeat at Brentford and a 6-3 defeat at Manchester City early in his tenure.

The Dutchman added: “We’ve seen in the past that we can bounce back. To Brentford, to Manchester City. This is definitely a major setback and unacceptable.

“We let the fans down and I’m really disappointed and angry about that.

“It’s a reality check… It’s a powerful message [that] we get.”

The Liverpool defeat came a week after Ten Hag won his first trophy with United as they beat Newcastle United and lifted the Carabao Cup.

“It was a really bad performance and the worst of the year,” said Ten Hag.

“We lost the game at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second but you have to keep your head up and we didn’t.

“It’s just about showing discipline and we didn’t do that, so you start conceding goals.

“It’s a really unprofessional performance and unnecessary. You have to do your job and we didn’t do it.”

Speaking to the fans who traveled to Anfield, he said: “It was tough and we really have to thank them. I don’t blame them for leaving because it was a really bad performance. I’m ashamed of the fans today.”

The Old Trafford club remain third in the Premier League but are 14 points behind leaders Arsenal and nine behind Manchester City after both won on Saturday.

United’s next game sees them face Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday (20:00 GMT) before returning to the league on Sunday (14:00 GMT) when they host the relegation battle against Southampton.

“We’ve made great strides, but you see what happens when you don’t meet the standards,” Ten Hag said.

“What I said in the dressing room is that it’s unacceptable. But it’s also just a game.

“We will fight back. This team is strong enough and we will reset and fight back.”

Midfielder Bruno Fernandes and striker Marcus Rashford missed promising chances for United before Liverpool took the lead and continued to dominate.

“It’s very frustrating, disappointing, sad because it’s a really bad result. We came here with a different attitude ahead of the game,” said Fernandes, who was heavily criticized by Sky pundit Gary Neville after the game.

“The first half was really good by ourselves, we had a lot of chances. We controlled most of the first half I think. They didn’t create that much.

“We tried to go forward and score goals and we lost our balance a bit. We gave too much space against this type of team. We have to avoid that.”

Liverpool have got their faltering season back on track with four wins from their last top five games and have moved up to fifth in the Premier League.

They are three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham after playing a game fewer than Spurs, although Newcastle United and Brighton could overtake Liverpool if they win their games.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called the win over United a “special” result given the “lower confidence” his team had against Ten Hag’s side following the different campaigns both teams have had this season.

“It sounds like a game from another season, so far it doesn’t really fit into this season,” said Klopp.

“It’s so incredibly important to us. We need results and for that you need performances and tonight we got both. The start of the game was super dominant and super flexible.

“We know the result is a freak but the performance was outstanding and I assume that.

“A few months ago everyone thought it was a good moment to play Liverpool – you can’t say it publicly but everyone thought so – because they felt we were struggling a lot but now it’s less of a good moment We look a lot more like ourselves.

“It’s important for everyone to know that we’re still here and we’re still alive. We have to keep going.”

Cody Gakpo opened the scoring for the Anfield side, scoring twice against United along with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, while Roberto Firmino rounded off the win with the last goal.

“We were so clinical, so good in every area of ​​the pitch and we could never have imagined that result, but when the players are confident that happens. It just clicked,” said Andy Robertson, Liverpool left-back.

“It felt like we were there everywhere and knew where the ball was going to be at all times.”