FEATURE: Liverpool v Manchester United - What Happens When the Emotions Leave the Stadium?

Liverpool made history on Sunday night, winning 7-0 against Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United claiming their biggest-ever margin victory. Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah made it to the scoresheet twice alongside Roberto Firmino. The win means Liverpool are now fifth in the Premier League, while Manchester United stay in third place.

To many, the defeat seemed out of character for Manchester United this season. After they lifted the Carabaro Trophy, there has been a sense that the issues felt last season were behind them. The match against Liverpool marks their first loss since they played Arsenal in January and their 6th loss of the 2022/23 season.

In a press conference earlier today, Erik ten Hag expressed determination to stick with the team and bounce back after their performance:

“...We are in the same boat, and we did it in togetherness. So we win together, we lose together, so all we made a mess on Sunday, and we have to deal with that."

Ten Hag also stuck up for Bruno Fernandes, confirming that, for as long as Harry Maguire is not playing, the midfielder will remain captain of the team.

“...I think he is [having] a brilliant season. He is a really important [reason] why we are in the position where we are because he is giving energy to the team. He is not only running a lot and in the highest intensity, but also in the right way, in the right direction, and he is pointing and coaching players. He is an inspirator for the whole team, but no-one is perfect. Everyone has his mistakes, and everyone has to learn.”

The statement follows backlash from fans over Fernandes’ performance during the game.

It is a trend regularly seen in football that players, managers and officials are victims of hurtful messages on social media after an unfortunate result. We have seen plenty of examples where players have admitted to struggling with their mental health, and these comments will no doubt play a large role.

While I would like to think that most comments come from a genuine passion for the sport, as fans want their team to do well. Fans pay a lot of money to see their favourite players score, and when they don’t it definitely dampens the mood for the bus ride home. However, there is no excuse for players to be subject to online abuse.

There is also no excuse for that abuse to be brought home. Research from Warwick Business School found a 47% increase in abuse and violence by partners on the day England won a World Cup or European Championship match. Evidently, the issue of abusive behaviour does not stem solely from teams having a bad performance.

Despite the abuse, authorities and charities are working to improve the environment surrounding football.

Hope United is a campaign run by BT since 2021, which seeks to stop social media abuse within football.

During the World Cup last year, Fifa announced that players could access a monitoring, reporting and moderation service to minimise the visibility of hate speech aimed at them

during the tournament.

Douglas Mackay of the Crown Prosecution Service Football Lead commented on the issue of domestic violence during major football tournaments last November:

 “We all have a responsibility to make football an environment everyone can enjoy safely and without fear.”

The charity Women’s Aid also put together a campaign during the World Cup in December, ‘

Football United’. As part of the campaign, the charity seeks to send a message that

“domestic violence is always unacceptable.”

You can access their website, which contains all the information on how to get involved in Women’s Aid’s campaign, through this link:

footballunited.org.uk