Manchester United v Liverpool: Erik ten Hag urges ‘angry’ players to ‘bring big games over the line’

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says his players will be “angry” when they face Liverpool and called on them to “bring big games over the line”.

Those results have left them sixth in the table before hosting Jurgen Klopp’s title-chasers on Sunday (15:30 BST).

“We have to step up and make better decisions,” said Ten Hag.

The five points United have dropped late in their past two league games have left their hopes of qualifying for next season’s revamped Champions League hanging by a thread.

But Ten Hag added: “We can play to a very high standard. We can compete with the best and beat the best in the Premier League. When you can do that, you can also do it across Europe.

“We need to learn how to bring big games over the line.”

With the top five in English football’s top flight set to earn a place in Europe’s elite club competition next season, United trail fifth-placed Tottenham by nine points with eight games left and are 10 behind Aston Villa in fourth.

They have won on both occasions they have faced Liverpool at Old Trafford since Ten Hag took charge in 2022, including a pulsating FA Cup quarter-final last month which finished 4-3.

And the United boss said he wants his players to use the disappointment they experienced at Chelsea – when Cole Palmer scored in the 10th and 11th minutes of injury time – to fuel a victory bid against their old rivals.

“We have to recover very quick,” said Dutchman Ten Hag. “We have to turn this around. We will be in a positive mood and we will be looking forward.

“We have to take energy but we will be mad, angry. From anger you can take a lot of energy and that is how we have to do it.”