While it seemed Manchester United may have had an outside chance to win the Premier League, talks of a potential title charge are now reportedly non-existent among the Red Devils squad.
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On Sunday evening, Erik ten Hag's men were decimated by bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield as they conceded seven goals in the club's worst defeat in over 90 years.
The 7-0 onslaught was a surprise to many as the Mancunians had just secured their first trophy in six years when they defeated Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final seven days before, and mere days afterwards, insured their passage to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a narrow midweek victory over West Ham United.
While these results were expected to galvanise Ten Hag's men ahead of their crucial Premier League clash against the Reds, it seems it may have only drained them.
As a consequence of their derby defeat, the Dutch tactician reportedly summoned the first-team squad for a 9am training session on their day off on Monday.
According to the Daily Mail, the emphasis of the session was not to focus on the physical aspect of the game but rather the players' mental strength. It is said that mindset matters more to Ten Hag than any physical shortcomings in the team right now.
"What happened doesn't destroy all the good work we have done this season," is what the former Ajax Amsterdam boss reportedly told his squad at Carrington.
It is claimed that Ten Hag also showed the squad videos of the match, short clips of certain points throughout the encounter that infuriated him.
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With the 53-year-old having already shut down any talks of a possible quadruple in the press, the same report suggests that there had been a quiet optimism among the players that they could challenge Arsenal and Manchester City for the EPL title.
However, after the weekend's thumping, there has reportedly been silence in that regard.
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