'That will be the message - Jamie Carragher predicts what Erik ten Hag will tell Man Utd ahead of Liverpool

Manchester United's lacklustre season hit a nadir as they crashed out of the Champions League.

The Red Devils' 1-0 loss against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford saw them exit the competition in sobering fashion. United finished bottom of Group A with just four points - the worst tally in the club's history - with Copenhagen joining Bayern in the knockout stage. United will not even be demoted to the Europa League knockout play-off round. That berth has gone to Galatasaray.

Certainly, pressure has piled on head coach Erik ten Hag. United presently sit just sixth in the Premier League despite spending a reported £170 million in the summer transfer window. On the performance, he told TNT Sport: "The team did very good, we were very good defensively and in the pressing. We had many ball regains, especially second half. But then we didn't take enough benefit from it - we were playing against a strong side."

United have no let up as they now face one of their biggest games of the season when they face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday (16.30 GMT). Jurgen Klopp's men sit at the top of the Premier League and some 10 points above their bitter rivals. Liverpool also recorded a famous 7-0 victory in the fixture last weekend.

United suffered a chastening 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Old Trafford last weekend, having also suffered home reverses to Crystal Palace and Brighton this term. Speaking on CBS Sports, Jamie Carragher believes that ten Hag's ploy ahead of the Liverpool clash to tell his United troops they were improved against Bundesliga champions Bayern - but that would be 'trying to clutch at straws'.

Carragher said: "I think what happens is because it’s been so poor for Manchester United this season, you’re playing one of the top teams in Europe, you are missing injured players.

"I think it’s almost a case of because you haven’t been beaten 3-0 or 4-0, 1-0 actually feels OK Because you lose 3-0 to Bournemouth, you’re now playing one of the giants of European football and you only lose 1-0, he’s trying to take something from it to then get to Sunday.

"That will be the message tomorrow to the players: 'You were playing one of the top teams in Europe anything could’ve happened, we’ve got to go to Anfield now and try to produce some sort of performance’. A result looks really tough on paper but I think that’s just a manager trying to clutch at straws.’