Gary Neville urges Erik ten Hag to pick Man Utd star against Liverpool

Gary Neville has urged Erik ten Hag to change his team for Manchester United’s Premier League clash against Liverpool and hand a start to summer signing Joshua Zirkzee.

One of the great Premier League rivalries reignites on Sunday afternoon as Liverpool travel to Old Trafford to face United.

Liverpool will look to extend their perfect start to the season under new manager Arne Slot following victories over Ipswich Town and Brentford.

Manchester United, meanwhile, will attempt to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat to Brighton, which came eight days after their opening-day win over Fulham.

Liverpool have been by far the more superior team in recent years but Neville insists he ‘wouldn’t take a point’ if he was offered it before the game kicks off and is optimistic about United’s chance.

But he admits it is an ‘important game’ for Ten Hag even at this early stage of the season and says the Dutchman should start summer signing Zirkzee following two impressive cameos off the bench.

Asked by Liverpool legend and fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher if he would take a point on Sunday, Neville said: ‘No, I wouldn’t.

‘I think Erik ten Hag has a knack for just sort of finding the right result at the right time. I worry about him a little bit on Sunday if [United] were to lose badly.

‘But I don’t see that on Sunday, I don’t think it’ll be a big defeat for United by any stretch of the imagination and actually, I wouldn’t say I’m confident, but they have a habit of turning up in the right moments for Erik ten Hag and getting results when he needs one.

‘I do think he needs one after that Brighton result last weekend. It’s not putting big pressure on him but he is under an element of pressure this season.

‘The league can’t go as badly this season. It is an important game even though it’s very early in the season. It’s more important for Erik ten Hag than it is for Arne Slot.

‘They need to get the season going a little bit and get the performance levels up because there were signs in the first two weeks that the levels were still not quite good enough.

‘Maybe that imbalance in the team is caused by a lack of a centre forward and the team selection, Zirkzee not playing in the first half of games.

‘But that will change on Sunday I would like to think. We will see what happens but I think he’s a little more worried than he’s letting on.’

Previewing the Old Trafford clash, ex-Liverpool defender Carragher added: ‘Listen, it’s a huge game.

‘Even under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool sometimes struggled at Old Trafford. There were two big wins but in the main Liverpool have found it difficult there.

‘It will be a tough game and I don’t think a draw is the end of the world for Liverpool after they won their first two games.

‘For any Liverpool team, Old Trafford is always going to be a tough place to go. I wouldn’t take a draw, I think Liverpool are a better team than Man United and should be going there to win.’

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