Arne Slot hit back at critics following his first defeat as Liverpool head coach but is relishing his first Champions League game in charge of the Reds against Milan. 

After starting his Liverpool tenure with three wins from three, Slot's side were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest last weekend upon their return from the international break. 

It marked the Dutchman's first loss since replacing Jurgen Klopp, with Forest securing their first triumph at Anfield since 1969. 

Slot named an unchanged team for the fourth consecutive game since taking over at Liverpool against Forest, with many questioning his decision to do so. 

But speaking ahead of their encounter at the San Siro on Tuesday, Slot doubled down on his selection policy during his early tenure on Merseyside. 

"If rotation would be the reason why you didn't win a game, then last Saturday probably wouldn't be the first game I lost in 2024," Slot said. 

"It's too simple to put this loss on rotation, I think it was because too many players didn't reach their normal level. The playing style of the opponent made it really difficult.

"When you don't win, you try and look at as many possible reasons why, but I preferred to look back at what we did well and what we didn't do well.

"We could have done a lot better in things that were not related to rotation, but again it's not possible to say what would have happened if I did rotate.

"Now I can do something about rotation in the upcoming games but before the weekend they were with the national team.

"For me this loss didn't have anything to do with rotation, it was the opponent and too many players not bringing what they can bring."

Slot takes charges of his first game in the Champions League as Liverpool boss, but has struggled in the competition away from home. 

The Dutchman has lost all three of his away games in the tournament, with each of those coming in the group stage with Feyenoord last season.  

However, Slot's former side did have the second-best shot differential away from home in last season’s group stage (+19 – 48 for and 29 against), while only Man City (24) faced fewer shots on the road.

The fixture will also come on Slot's 46th birthday, with the Liverpool head coach hopeful of getting the perfect present from his players.

"I think it is the first time that my birthday is not so important tomorrow!', Slot said.

"It's a big game also for me, but it's a big game for us too because it's the first game [of the Champions League] and it's the next game and the next game is always the most important one, as you know.

"But because of the history that these two teams have and the venue where it's played in - it's one to look forward to."

Slot was also able to provide an update on Federico Chiesa, who is yet to feature since his switch from Juventus in the transfer window. 

Chiesa offers Slot an experienced option against the Serie A side, having notched seven goal involvements (three goals and four assists) in the 13 games he has played against Milan. 

But the Dutchman confirmed that any involvement for the Italy international will likely be from the bench. 

"He is, for the first time, in our team selection," Slot said. 

"And since I said it's the first time he's in our team selection it would be a big surprise for him and for everyone if he would start tomorrow.

"I don’t think you should expect that he starts but he can make a few minutes for the first time tomorrow if we need him. That is something we will see tomorrow.

"For the first time with us and don’t expect him to be there in the starting line-up because he has been with Juve training on his own for a long time.

"It is too early for him to play 90, but hopefully he can make his first minutes in the upcoming fixtures."

Paulo Fonseca believes Milan's Champions League opener against Liverpool is the perfect opportunity to show the team's progress under his stewardship. 

Fonseca, who arrived at the San Siro from Lille in July, picked up his first Serie A victory for the Rossoneri on Saturday with a 4-0 rout of Venezia. 

All four goals came in the first 30 minutes of that encounter, the first time Milan had done so in a league match since October 1958 against Alessandria. 

Milan welcome a familiar foe in the competition in Liverpool on Tuesday, with the pair having squared off in the 2005 and 2007 finals, both winning one apiece.

The Italian side also faced the Reds in the Champions League group stage in the 2021-22 season but lost on both occasions as Liverpool reached the showpiece match, only to lose 1-0 to Real Madrid.

But Liverpool come into the contest off the back of a shock 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, the first defeat of the Arne Slot era. 

However, Fonseca insisted that despite their opponents' latest result, his side must eradicate their own mistakes and be defensively perfect to kickstart their campaign with a victory. 

"I think Liverpool is one of the strongest teams in Europe. They have a good game and strong individuals," Fonseca said.

"We have to be perfect defensively, you cannot make mistakes.

"I see it as an opportunity to show our progress. It will lead us to do different things... but also to prove our worth.

"I am sure it will. The support of our fans is always important for us. Tomorrow it will be like that, we want to feel their love."

Milan's new signing and Euro 2024 winning captain, Alvaro Morata, is also expecting a difficult test against Liverpool on Tuesday. 

Morata returned to action as a second half substitute against Venezia after missing two games with a back injury after marking his debut with a goal against Torino. 

The Spaniard also has an impressive record against Liverpool, failing to lose in his five appearances against them (won three and drawn two) while also scoring once. 

"It will be a great challenge, we have so many different players, and we have to fix so many mechanisms, only time will tell," Morata said.

"Ever since you arrive at a club like this you dream of playing with Liverpool in the Champions League, it could even be a semi-final, it's strange that we play right away.

"There is so much desire. These are the games that make sporting history." 

Arne Slot slammed Liverpool's performance after their perfect start to his reign came crashing to a halt with Saturday's surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest.

Callum Hudson-Odoi's deflected second-half strike proved decisive as Forest earned their first league victory at Anfield in 55 years, having last triumphed on the ground against Bill Shankly's Reds in 1969.

Liverpool's 14 shots throughout the game gave them a total expected goals (xG) figure of just 0.87, with only five of those attempts forcing Matz Sels into action.

The Reds boasted a 69.6% possession share but only marginally beat Forest's 56 final-third entries with 70 of their own, leaving Slot to bemoan their lethargic play in possession.

"The result frustrates me the most and we cannot be happy about how the game went. It was a stop-start game and we hardly created any chances," Slot told BBC Sport.

"We only have to look at ourselves, we have to be better. Far too many times we lost the ball around the area, it was not good enough. We have to be better with the ball.

"Our decisions and execution weren't good enough. 

"In general, we defended quite well but the two fast players came on and made it difficult for us. We took a lot of risks and in the end it was a very good goal."

Liverpool have now lost two of their last five Premier League matches at Anfield (three wins), having only lost one of their previous 58 before this run.

Forest, meanwhile, have won four straight away Premier League matches for the first time since 1995, and they sit just one point behind Liverpool in the early-season standings.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo was delighted with their defensive work, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: "Liverpool are such a good team, it required a lot of effort from the players... the organisation, tackling and the covering.

"The only way to achieve anything here is if you are organised and do everything that you can.

"When you start the way we started with our wingers, Nico Dominguez and Elliot Anderson – all the effort of them tracking Liverpool's full-backs, it is a lot of energy.

"We are working hard and it is about building and believing in this idea that you can develop."

Callum Hudson-Odoi's goal gave Nottingham Forest their first league victory at Anfield in 55 years and ended Liverpool's perfect start to life under Arne Slot on Saturday.

Substitute Hudson-Odoi scored the only goal of the game after 72 minutes, capping a lightning Forest counterattack with a curling strike that deflected in off Ibrahima Konate.

Liverpool had earlier gone close through Luis Diaz as he struck the base of the post in the first half, but they struggled to pose Nuno Espirito Santo's men too many problems in a flat display.

The defeat, which comes after impressive shutout victories over Ipswich Town, Brentford and Manchester United, means Liverpool have lost early ground on Manchester City, who now boast a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Forest, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in 2024/25 and move up into fourth place with eight points, just one behind Saturday's opponents, who stay second.

Luis Diaz had the first real chance of the match when he rattled the post after 16 minutes, dispossessing Ryan Yates at the byline before cutting inside from the left and seeing his shot bounce clear off the woodwork.

Matz Sels almost caused Forest's undoing just before half-time as he spilled Diaz's looping header, but it was his team-mate Hudson-Odoi who got the eventual winner. 

Cutting inside from the left, he bent an effort towards the far corner, with a deflection off Konate carrying it out of Alisson's reach to condemn Liverpool to defeat.

Data Debrief: Forest end Anfield hoodoo

It is the first time Nottingham Forest have won away at Liverpool in the league since winning 2-0 against Bill Shankly's side in 1969.

It is also the first time Forest manager Nuno has achieved Premier League victory against Liverpool, having lost his previous seven meetings with them.

Since the start of last season, meanwhile, winning goalscorer Hudson-Odoi (four) is third only to Phil Foden (six) and Eberechi Eze (five) for goals scored from outside the box in the top flight. 

Arne Slot insists Liverpool will not be distracted by the contract situations of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all of whom are set to become free agents next year.

Liverpool are yet to tie down any of their star trio to new deals despite them entering the final 12 months of their contracts, with Salah's future in particular making headlines.

After scoring in the Reds' 3-0 win at Manchester United ahead of the international break, Salah said he was keen to enjoy this season in case it proves to be his "last year" at Anfield.

Since Alexander-Arnold made his Premier League debut in December 2016, only Salah (253) has bettered his 229 league outings for Liverpool.

Captain Van Dijk, who joined in 2018, is sixth on that list with 200 appearances, behind Andy Robertson (221), Roberto Firmino (211) and Alisson (204).

Speaking ahead of Saturday's meeting with Nottingham Forest, however, Slot outlined his confidence that any contract negotiations will remain in the background.

"Again, it's the boring answer, but we don't talk about contracts here," Slot said.

"Is it a distraction? No, it isn't, I am fully focused on the individuals and the team to work with them to get the best possible out of them. It's not a distraction for me at all."

Alexander-Arnold is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in the Premier League under Slot, being replaced by Conor Bradley in all three of Liverpool's games this term.

Slot believes he is now ready for a full outing, however, having impressed while playing the full 180 minutes as England beat the Republic of Ireland and Finland under interim coach Lee Carsley.

"He proved he could do 90 minutes. He became tired in the Ipswich game. He's completely ready to play 90 now," Slot said of Alexander-Arnold. 

"We have another player like Conor Bradley, who can do the job really well. We have a whole team to manage and it's also good for Conor to get his playing minutes. 

"It's not always the individual, I look at the team and the whole squad for the fixtures."

Arne Slot is "something special" and can have a sensational impact as Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool replacement, believes Eredivisie chief executive Jan de Jong. 

Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, De Jong also backed Slot – alongside embattled Manchester United counterpart Erik ten Hag – to manage the Netherlands in the future. 

Slot has enjoyed a fine start to life at Anfield after leaving Feyenoord, leading Liverpool to three straight Premier League wins, including an impressive 3-0 triumph over United.

The Reds have won all three of their Premier League games this term while keeping a clean sheet in each victory. When they host Nottingham Forest on Saturday, they could become just the fifth team in English top-flight history to start a season with four straight wins without conceding. 

Manchester City last achieved that feat in 2015-16, following in the footsteps of Aston Villa (1900-01), Ipswich Town (1974-75) and Chelsea (2005-06).

Ten Hag has found things more difficult at Old Trafford, becoming the first United manager to start two Premier League seasons with the club by losing two of his first three matches.

However, De Jong expects both bosses to be successful in the long term, telling Stats Perform: "The Premier League is the highest goal you can reach. So if there are two Dutch coaches at such big clubs, we are very proud of it. It's the best we can do. 

"We hope that in the near future, both will be the coach of the Dutch national team. I think Ten Hag started very well, but Louis van Gaal says Manchester United is a very difficult team to manage. 

"So Erik is facing a lot of problems, but I think he's technical, a very good coach on a very high level and Arne Slot is something special. 

"I think he will be a sensation. You never know, but he has everything in him to be one of the greatest coaches of his time. "

De Jong's primary concern for 2024-25 is ensuring the Eredivisie maintains its position as Europe's sixth league, pointing to the importance of Champions League revenue going to multiple Dutch clubs.

"To be honest, we want to be the sixth league. There's a huge gap and we cannot bridge it between the big five and the others," he said.

"A couple of years ago, in 2018, we were number 14 in the UEFA ranking and now we are number six. That's very important and we have at least two teams participating in the Champions League. 

"That is crucial for us because the money the teams get out of Champions League football is much more than the local media rights. So this year is fully aimed at how we stay in sixth position."

The Eredivisie is one of several leagues to be threatened by the big-spending approach of Saudi Pro League clubs, with Steven Bergwijn swapping Ajax for Al-Ittihad in a €21million move earlier this month.

That switch led Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman to leave Bergwijn out of his squad for this month's Nations League fixtures, and De Jong admits the financial power of Saudi clubs is a real concern.

"When you make a step in your career, I hope that it's always out of an aim that you want to reach the highest level," he added.

"I'm a little bit naïve, but I hope winning prizes is more important than earning as much money as you can."

On Koeman's decision to exclude Bergwijn, he said: "He said that from his point of view, he would no longer take Bergwijn as a player of the Dutch national team. 

"He did not say that the competition was not strong enough, but he was very surprised that he did it at the age of 26. That was the point Koeman was trying to make."

Caoimhin Kelleher is ready to leave Liverpool in search of first-team football.

Kelleher, 25, has been Alisson's back-up for several seasons at Anfield, though did play in some big games during Jurgen Klopp's time in charge.

That included starring in the EFL Cup final against Chelsea in 2022.

However, with Liverpool having signed Giorgi Mamardashvili, who will join next season, Kelleher believes the time is right to move on.

And the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper suggested he could have left this summer, if Liverpool had not rejected offers.

"I made it clear in the last few years I want to go be a number one and play week in, week out," said Kelleher ahead of Ireland's Nations League clash with Greece.

"The club made the decision to get another goalkeeper.

"From the outside looking in, it looks like they have made a decision to go in another direction.

"My ambition has always been clear the last few seasons that I want to be a number one, playing week in week out.

"At times it is not always in my hands. My mission was to go out and play, and be a number one.

"It has been reported that Liverpool had rejected a few bids as well. It is not always in my hands to make the decision. My ambition is to prove I am good enough to play week in, week out."

Kelleher made seven saves from nine shots against England on Saturday, and could do little to prevent either Declan Rice or Jack Grealish scoring to hand the Three Lions a 2-0 win.

Ryan Gravenberch has credited Arne Slot for his brilliant start to the new season, saying the manager gives him clarity and confidence.

Gravenberch joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich last September and made 26 Premier League appearances under Jurgen Klopp, but started just 12 of those games.

Since Slot's arrival, the midfielder has been shifted into a deeper-lying midfield role, earning plaudits for his performances, having started all three of their matches as the Reds made a perfect start to the campaign.

So far, among Liverpool players, he has won the joint-most duels (17), made the most interceptions (seven), and won the joint-most tackles (six).

Gravenberch believes his performances come from the faith shown in him by Slot.

"I just feel good in my skin, to be honest," Gravenberch told ESPN Netherlands. "But does that have a reason? Yeah, things are going well at the club. I'm just doing my thing, and it's working out well now."

"He gives me confidence now. He just lets me start in the lineup. It's going pretty well.

"As a player, you obviously want to get minutes. For me, that confidence is part of it. With that confidence, I feel more comfortable, and with the minutes, it keeps getting better.

"He's a good coach. He knows what he wants. He has a clear plan. Yeah, so far, we're executing it really well. Clarity from the start is always nice for me."

Gravenberch is now hoping to translate that form to the national side, and he is part of the squad for their Nations League matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany.

The 22-year-old was also part of their Euro 2024 party but did not play a single minute in the tournament as the Oranje reached the semi-final before being knocked out by England.

While he admits that it bothered him not to feature for his country at the Euros, he is now looking to put that frustration behind him as he looks towards future tournaments.

"It did gnaw at me a little," he said. "Because, when you go to the Euros, of course, you want to play. But in the end, we have to move on. The Euros are in the past. And now we're here."

"Life goes on," he added. "The Euros are over, and now we have to focus on the Nations League. And in two years, there's the World Cup again."

Liverpool may struggle to recover when Mohamed Salah finally calls time on his stint on Merseyside, says fellow Reds attacker Luis Diaz.

Salah has entered the final year of his contract with Liverpool, for whom he has scored 214 goals in all competitions since arriving from Roma in 2017.

With Saudi Pro League clubs and Paris Saint-Germain having been linked with the Egyptian, he is yet to agree fresh terms with Liverpool, and his comments after Sunday's 3-0 win at Manchester United cast further doubt on his future.

In his post-match interview with Sky Sports, Salah said he was keen to enjoy 2024-25 in case it proves to be his "last year" at Anfield.

Salah said "nobody" at Liverpool has talked to him about a new contract and suggested his future will be dictated by the club.

Diaz, who scored twice from Salah assists at Old Trafford last time out, says Liverpool will suffer whenever the 32-year-old does seek pastures new.

"It would be hard for us," the Colombia winger told Telemundo. "It would be hard for Liverpool. 

"It's going to hurt us a lot. He still has a year to think about it, it's not easy. He always gives his very best. 

"He has done it from the start. It would be very hard to lose a key player like him. It's his decision and we respect that, but I hope he doesn't leave."

Salah joined Diaz on the scoresheet on Sunday, netting his 10th goal in nine appearances at Old Trafford in all competitions.

He is just the second player to score 10 or more goals at a single away venue for Premier League clubs since 1992-93, after Alan Shearer, who scored 10 at Elland Road.

Salah has now either scored (11) or assisted (six) 17 of Liverpool's last 23 Premier League goals against United, recording more goal involvements versus the Red Devils than any other player in the competition's history.

Bruno Fernandes is "perfectly aware" Manchester United are not ready for a Premier League title challenge but has defended his under-fire team-mate Casemiro after Sunday's loss to Liverpool.

United entered the first international break of the season 14th in the table with just three points, suffering back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool.

A Luis Diaz brace and a Mohamed Salah strike condemned United to another embarrassing defeat at the hands of their old rivals, as Ten Hag became the first Red Devils manager to lose three home Premier League games by three or more goals within the space of a year.

United were also beaten 3-0 by Manchester City last October and fell to the same scoreline versus Bournemouth two months later.

Ten Hag is also the only United boss to ever start multiple Premier League seasons with two defeats from his first three games, with the Red Devils doing so three times in the last five campaigns overall (also 2020-21 and 2022-23).

Fernandes is under no illusions regarding the chasm that separates United from their rivals at present, telling DAZN in Portugal: "Yes, I am perfectly aware that this Manchester United is not ready to win the Premier League.

"We are fighting with the concrete and real objective of trying to finish in the top four, in the places that give access to the Champions League. 

"But there is still a lot to improve for the greater objective, and for my dream, which is to one day win this championship."

Casemiro was criticised after Sunday's match, having been replaced by 20-year-old Toby Collyer at half-time after making mistakes in the build-up to both of Diaz's goals.

The Brazilian lost possession 14 times in just 45 minutes on the field. Noussair Mazraoui (17) and Diogo Dalot (16) were the only United players to do so more often, with both playing the full 90.

Fernandes, however, has leapt to the defence of his midfield partner, saying: "Casemiro is more experienced than me, he played for the two best clubs in the world in terms of media coverage. He has a lot of quality. 

"Mistakes are going to happen to everyone. We just have to be more cautious when they are about to happen and compensate and correct them in time.

"We have to be more alert when we lose the ball, feel and smell the danger and be more objective. 

"Whenever we have opportunities, we have to score more goals. We have attacking quality, but few goals."

Virgil van Dijk said his Liverpool team-mates are looking to "achieve greatness" this season after maintaining Arne Slot's winning start against Manchester United. 

Van Dijk has helped his side record three victories from their opening three league games without conceding for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. 

The Dutchman marked his 200th Premier League game for Liverpool with another commanding display, taking his tally to 140 wins in the competition, already the most wins any player has picked up in their first 200 for the club in the division. 

Van Dijk recorded more touches (91) than any other player, while also winning all five of the aerial duels he contested. 

He also completed 69 of his 73 attempted passes, ending the contest with a pass accuracy of 94.5% which was the highest of any player from both teams. 

Slot's early tenure has been a seamless transition since Jurgen Klopp's departure at the end of last season, with Van Dijk a key cog to the German's success at Anfield. 

Van Dijk won eight major honours under his former boss, and is eyeing more success in his Liverpool career under the guidance of Slot. 

"What Jurgen Klopp said in one of his last interviews is the new manager inherited a very good squad. The manager left but the players didn't," Van Dijk said.

"We are not satisfied with just competing.

"We want to achieve greatness this season. I'm not competing in any competition just to compete, I want to win.

We come up against a very good team in Man City and Arsenal.

"Our consistency is looking good, after the international break could be interesting when playing every three days. I'm certainly enjoying the ride."

Manchester United may soon lose patience with manager Erik ten Hag after another humbling by Liverpool, Red Devils' great Gary Neville said on Sunday.

Former defender Neville believes the Dutchman may only have until Christmas at Old Trafford to turn around what has been another disappointing start to the Premier League season.

United were crushed 3-0 at home to Liverpool as Mohamed Salah scored one and assisted both goals of Luis Diaz's first-half brace on the red side of Manchester.

Ten Hag is the only United manager to lose three Premier League home games by three or more goals in the space of a year, also suffering 3-0 defeats to Manchester City in October and Bournemouth in December last year.

"It's going to be a challenging week or so for Ten Hag just to get around the fact that there will be some pressure building," Neville said on Sky Sports.

"But I think he will get until Christmas. There's no doubt about that. There's no doubt that INEOS and Dan Ashworth the chief executive, who has got a sense of calm about him – the [former Manchester] City chief executive [Omar Berrada] and Dave Brailsford and those people, are not just going to do something stupid.

"Within three or four months, they have made the decision to keep him. They will get four or five months. What they can't be is mid-table come Christmas, but he is going to get a few months, there's no doubt about that."

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher rebuffed, responding "I would be surprised if he is still in charge at the end of the season", and if results continue this way, United's hand may be forced with Ten Hag.

The former Ajax boss is also the only United manager to lose two of the three opening matches in a Premier League season on two separate occasions.

"It was a sobering day for Erik ten Hag, his players and for the new ownership sat in the stand en masse, looking at it and thinking whether they're on the right path," Neville continued.

"He's been influenced to change his team and his staff in the summer as he's brought two new coaches in. That isn't always ideal as there is new messaging coming in. There's a lot of change at the club so there was going to be a bit of pain along the way in interfering with the Glazer ownership.

"We're seeing that today and it's not going to change quickly. It's a sobering day but one that requires some calm."

Casemiro was removed at half-time, having played a woeful pass in the build-up to Diaz's opener amid a torrid first half.

Despite his early exit, the Brazil midfielder lost possession 14 times, with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui only doing so more often for United (16 each) and both playing the full game.

"Manchester United fans don't often boo," Neville added on the jeers for Ten Hag, Casemiro and under-fire Marcus Rashford. "They don't often boo the manager, they don't often boo substitutions, they don't often boo players individually. And there's been a couple of times today [where they have].

"They will boo, generally, a performance at half-time when the players are going off if they're losing 2-0. But ordinarily, they don't take out individuals and a couple of times today they have. Casemiro in the first half and then obviously referring to Rashford with that boo."

Manchester United may soon lose patience with manager Erik ten Hag after another humbling by Liverpool, Red Devils' great Gary Neville said on Sunday.

Former defender Neville believes the Dutchman may only have until Christmas at Old Trafford to turn around what has been another disappointing start to the Premier League season.

United were crushed 3-0 at home to Liverpool as Mohamed Salah scored one and assisted both goals of Luis Diaz's first-half brace on the red side of Manchester.

Ten Hag is the only United manager to lose three Premier League home games by three or more goals in the space of a year, also suffering 3-0 defeats to Manchester City in October and Bournemouth in December last year.

"It's going to be a challenging week or so for Ten Hag just to get around the fact that there will be some pressure building," Neville said on Sky Sports.

"But I think he will get until Christmas. There's no doubt about that. There's no doubt that INEOS and Dan Ashworth the chief executive, who has got a sense of calm about him – the [former Manchester] City chief executive [Omar Berrada] and Dave Brailsford and those people, are not just going to do something stupid.

"Within three or four months, they have made the decision to keep him. They will get four or five months. What they can't be is mid-table come Christmas, but he is going to get a few months, there's no doubt about that."

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher rebuffed, responding "I would be surprised if he is still in charge at the end of the season", and if results continue this way, United's hand may be forced with Ten Hag.

The former Ajax boss is also the only United manager to lose two of the three opening matches in a Premier League season on two separate occasions.

"It was a sobering day for Erik ten Hag, his players and for the new ownership sat in the stand en masse, looking at it and thinking whether they're on the right path," Neville continued.

"He's been influenced to change his team and his staff in the summer as he's brought two new coaches in. That isn't always ideal as there is new messaging coming in. There's a lot of change at the club so there was going to be a bit of pain along the way in interfering with the Glazer ownership.

"We're seeing that today and it's not going to change quickly. It's a sobering day but one that requires some calm."

Casemiro was removed at half-time, having played a woeful pass in the build-up to Diaz's opener amid a torrid first half.

Despite his early exit, the Brazil midfielder lost possession 14 times, with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui only doing so more often for United (16 each) and both playing the full game.

"Manchester United fans don't often boo," Neville added on the jeers for Ten Hag, Casemiro and under-fire Marcus Rashford. "They don't often boo the manager, they don't often boo substitutions, they don't often boo players individually. And there's been a couple of times today [where they have].

"They will boo, generally, a performance at half-time when the players are going off if they're losing 2-0. But ordinarily, they don't take out individuals and a couple of times today they have. Casemiro in the first half and then obviously referring to Rashford with that boo."

Erik ten Hag insists Manchester United will push for trophies this season despite a humiliating 3-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday. 

Ten Hag, who won the EFL Cup and FA Cup in his first two terms with the club, watched on as Luis Diaz's double and Mohamed Salah's second-half strike secured an impressive victory for the visitors.

While the statistics suggest it was a closely contested affair, Liverpool punished a series of errors from United at a disgruntled Old Trafford, with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo both culpable for senseless turnovers.

Of the Red Devils' eight shots, meanwhile, only three threatened Alisson's goal, as they ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.36 to Liverpool's 1.73. 

But despite an underwhelming display ahead of the international break, Ten Hag is confident he can add more silverware to United's trophy cabinet this campaign. 

"You can see the xG, we didn't concede as many goals. I don't think we are in the same pattern. It was sometimes open and we took risks," he told Sky Sports.

"But I don't want to talk about this after a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool. Well done Liverpool. We have to be humble and take it.

"There are many games to play and I know where we will be at the end of the season. We will go for trophies. That will stand."

It proved to be another difficult outing for Casemiro, who gifted Liverpool their opening goal with a poor pass out from the back before being bundled off the ball in the build-up to their second. 

The Brazilian completed 27 of his 37 attempted passes, losing possession 13 times, with only Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot doing so on more occasions (both 16). 

Casemiro was replaced at half-time by 20-year-old Toby Collyer, with Ten Hag later saying the decision was taken for the good of the team.

"It is what the team needed. You know when you are 2-0 down against Liverpool you have to take more risks, it will be open," he said.

"When you are losing you have to take more risks. I have to give compliments to the team. You have to keep fighting and sticking together.

"You know the game and he knows the game. He will go on and we will go on. He's a great player. We will continue this season to improve the team and the players.

"Is he still able to play at the highest level? He improved and has shown so often that he is a great character.

"We all have seen great moments from him and him being decisive in midfield. He will show that again and will bounce back."

Mohamed Salah says he "wants to enjoy" what could be his final year at Liverpool, after playing a key role in the Reds' 3-0 victory over Manchester United.

Salah assisted the opener for Luis Diaz before scoring the second - and what was his 10th goal in his last seven appearances at Old Trafford - as Arne Slot's side made it three wins from three in the Premier League.

The Egyptian became the first player to score in five successive away appearances against United in the Premier League, though his future at Anfield is uncertain.

Now into the final year of his existing contract, Salah wants to embrace every moment of his eighth season with Liverpool.

"A great result. Everyone knows the derby is important for the fans and the city," he told Sky Sports. "We need to carry on and, if you want to fight for the league, you have to win each game.

"The manager likes us to press high and there were a couple of mistakes, and we managed to punish them - it was part of the plan.

"I had a good summer, a long time to stay with myself and think positively a bit. This is my last year with the club and I want to enjoy it.

"I feel I am free to play football. We will see what happens next year. Nobody in the club has talked to me about contracts. It is not up to me, it is up to the club."

Meanwhile, Slot saluted his players as he became just the third manager to win each of his first three Premier League games without conceding, after the late Sven-Goran Eriksson (2007) and Jose Mourinho (2004).

"The first few minutes, United started aggressive, and we had to fight our way through the period.

"If you go to Old Trafford, we know there will be tough moments. After scoring a great goal [through Trent Alexander-Arnold], which was disallowed, we kept on playing as we were before.

"Today, we showed a lot of moments where the forwards tracked back so aggressively, and that is what we need if you want to win these games. It's a good win."