Nature of loss will worry Jurgen Klopp deeply

Liverpool looked a shadow of their usual selves at Old Trafford last night. 

SHOCK: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on the touchline.

This was supposed to be the night when Liverpool re-established their title credentials, cruised to their first win of the season and sent bitter rivals Manchester United crashing deeper into crisis. Early days and all that, but just 90 minutes later and it looks like Merseyside is where emergency surgery is most urgently required.

The nature of Liverpool's humiliation – their first Premier League defeat in all of 2022 - was as embarrassing as it was unexpected. This is a fixture they simply do not lose these days.

New manager Erik Ten Hag is the fifth man in charge of United since they last beat Liverpool, back in March 2018. That is amount of turmoil Liverpool have helped inflict on Old Trafford in recent years.

United rarely score against Liverpool let alone beat them and their revolting fanbase were told to prepare for the worst after their protest against the club's American owners ahead of kick off.

Now there is a sense Liverpool's ever loyal supporters are getting edgy with their Stateside supremos.

Fans of Jurgen Klopp's side had expressed fears over the German manager's ageing midfield ahead of the match, concerned that James Milner, 36, and 32-year-old Jordan Henderson might be found wanting despite their experience ability to read a game.

But it was not only the more seasoned of Liverpool's players – including the usually sublime centre back Virgil van Dijk who was poor again – who were found wanting.

Young right-back Trent Alexander Arnold also looked lost in the blur of red shirts running at him down the wing. It could be argued he was fortunate to only be booked once in the first half.

Klopp can point to an injury crisis and the absence of Naby Keita, Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Add to that defenders Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate and it is hard not to feel sympathetic.

But it can also be argued that not many or even any of them would make this current Liverpool side look genuine Premier League title contenders again.

There is talk of Keita leaving – if Liverpool can secure a replacement – but it seems increasingly bizarre that one of the most successful clubs in Europe, playing in the world's richest league suddenly look like also rans in the transfer market.

With no wins to their name so far this season they are not looking too smart on it either.

United emphasised the gulf in spending and pulling power when they unveiled the €83m Brazilian defensive midfielder Casemiro before kick-off. Maybe they paid over the odds, but they got their man.

Liverpool were in the black for the last two summer transfer windows and have a net spend just over €10million this summer.

They need to work out how to compete in the market again or suffer slipping behind their nearest and not so dearest rivals.

Just as worrying for Klopp must be the sight of United's players seemingly more up for the game than his men.

It was a similar sight in an unexpected draw at newly promoted Fulham and some critics say they got what they deserved when failing to beat Crystal Palace at home.

Of course Klopp can still win the league again this season. He might even avenge last season's Champions League final defeat too, but not with this squad. Not with this attitude.

The atmosphere at Old Trafford was the sort of crackling overwhelming positivity and belief that frightens off most visitors to Anfield. It scared off Liverpool this time.

Bournemouth are next up on Saturday and will go to Liverpool a point and a place ahead of their hosts.

Anfield will have to be at its loudest. Nothing less than a win will do for Klopp.

This strange beginning to the season in which the wisdom of his fellow German coaching mastermind Thomas Tuchel is also being questioned at Chelsea could well turn out to be a false start, but four matches without a win – against largely beatable opposition – will definitely result in crisis talks switching from Ten Hag to Klopp.

He will have few if any options to change his team significantly ahead of the weekend so he will have to get this lot working a great deal harder.

They seemed to give up long before the final whistle – despite Mo Salah's late scrambled goal - and United could and should have won by more.

It is one thing being out-played, but to be out-run and out-fought cannot be excused in a match so significant to the atmosphere it generates around the respective clubs for weeks to follow.