How will Liverpool and Man United respond to 7-0 rout?

Jurgen Klopp had a question of his own when addressing journalists after Liverpools 70 rout of Manchester United Resisting the temptation to bask in a record win on Sunday that almost certainly put an end to Uniteds feint Premier League title challenge he remained levelheaded and cast his mind back to Liverpools previous goalfest in the early weeks of the seasonDoes anybody know when we won against Bournemouth 90 how the next result was he asked The answer was a 21 win over Newcastle which came curtesy of Fabio Carvalhos goal in the eighth minute of added time That victory came on Aug 31 Liverpool didnt win again in the Premier League until Oct 16 when the team beat Manchester City 10Klopps point Even big results mean little unless they are capitalized on Liverpools problem this season has been an inability to produce consistent winning runs which is why a team that competed for four trophies last season is fighting to secure Champions League qualification this yearAlso readBoss Jurgen Klopp sees no fanciful ending to Liverpoolrsquos struggles after 00 drawUniteds issues have been the opposite While Sundays result equaled the biggest defeat in the clubs history it was not the first time United manager Erik ten Hag has been humiliated in his early reign at Old Trafford The 40 loss to Brentford in only the second game of the season sparked debate about whether the Dutchman would keep his job Then there was the 63 loss to Manchester City in October which led him to question his players braveryYet United went into Sundays game on the back of winning the League Cup and still in contention for three more titles That may no longer be the case with a title challenge now likely beyond them after falling 14 points behind Premier League leader Arsenal but Ten Hag will hope for another rousing response from his players to ensure a season that is still full of promise does not unravelLiverpools MomentumThere have been signs in recent weeks that Liverpool is coming into form at just the right time to salvage a desperately frustrating seasonChampions League qualification is now in sight with Liverpool only three points behind fourthplace Tottenham with a game in hand and superior goal differenceNewcastle is one point behind Liverpool and has played a game fewer but it is the Merseyside club that appears to have the momentum and has also been boosted by key players returning from injuryKlopps ForwardsLiverpools new look attack produced its most ruthless display against United as Cody Gakpo Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah scored two goals eachKlopps success in recent years has been built on his attacking trio of Sadio Mane Roberto Firmino and Salah Understandably it has taken time for him to reconstruct his forward line and Sunday provided a glimpse of the futureGakpos performance in particular may have left United regretting the decision not pursue the player that Ten Hag wanted to sign in January following the departure of Cristiano RonaldoConsistencyOn only one occasion this season has Liverpool managed to put a run of more than two league wins together a fourgame sequence spread over either side of the World Cup in November and December Since the start of 2023 there have been humbling losses against Brentford Brighton and WolverhamptonNewcastles wobbles have opened a path to the top four but Klopp will likely need his team to go on an extended winning run to capitalizeChampions LeagueThe 52 loss to Real Madrid last month has left Liverpool with an enormous task to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions LeagueIf the second leg was at Anfield rather than the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium then another famous European comeback might not have been out of the question for a club that overturned a 30 loss to Barcelona in the semifinals of 2019But even if it is unlikely Madrid will collapse the win against United will serve as a reminder of Liverpools threatTen Hags toolsAfter the loss to Brentford Ten Hag ordered his players to come in the next day and run 85 miles about 135 kilometers during a British heatwave in August It was the difference between the distance run by both teams in that match and Ten Hag joined in on the run as a show of unityAfter losing to City he publicly called out his players and notably left Ronaldo on the bench at the Etihad StadiumOn both occasions Ten Hag got the desired effect United beat Liverpool and Arsenal in the aftermath of Brentford and lost only one game in 12 in the league after City He described the Liverpool loss as unprofessional Whether that is enough to get a reaction from his players will become clear in the coming weeksWork in progressThe latest humbling was a reminder that Ten Hag is still in the process of building this United team and his squad remains short in key areas It was notable that Gakpo a player Ten Hag had targeted in January came back to haunt him while loan signing Wout Weghorst was ineffective at Anfield Games like this also underline how much United misses the assuredness and creativity of Christian Eriksen who is out with an ankle injury Ten Hag wants to bring in a top center forward in the offseason with Harry Kane linked with a move from Tottenham He also needs more cover in midfield with Barcelonas Frenkie de Jong and Borussia Dortmunds Jude Bellingham both admired by UnitedTrophy hopesThe Premier League title was always a long shot and it now looks like a twohorse race between Arsenal and Manchester City But the loss to Liverpool doesnt greatly change Uniteds season Champions League qualification is still in its own hands while the FA Cup and Europa League are there to be won United hosts Real Betis in the round of 16 of the Europa League on Thursday and faces Fulham at home in the FA Cup quarterfinals later this monthAfter winning the League Cup another trophy of any description would be considered a major success alongside a topfour finishThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no 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