Talk about a lack of energy, or perhaps over confidence, however you choose to look at it, there really is no excusing Liverpool’s and Manchester United’s embarrassing performance against two sub-par teams during the weekend.

It’s difficult to highlight any concrete reason why a football franchise as relentless as Liverpool, and as box office as Manchester United would concede five goals against teams they were projected to defeat.

On Sunday afternoon, Manchester United faced off against Tottenham Hotspurs, and although the odds makers had them at about even, many Manchester United hopefuls were optimistic that their team would be able to take a win against the Spurs. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case as Tottenham was able to run away with a 6-1 win.

What went wrong with Manchester?

‘Everything! Just about sums it up. Not only has the team struggled to make the trades needed to propel the team back to Manchester level football, but this proud and historic team approached their Sunday match with the intensity of a regulation team.

Manchester managed to slot in the first goal of the match and immediately became complacent. Not long after they conceded their first goal, however, the team looked like it wasn’t interested in reclaiming the lead. A few minutes later, they conceded a second and still didn’t look like they had what it takes to equalize the score.

Four more goals down the stretch and Manchester United found themselves on the deep end of one of the most humiliating defeat the club has ever faced, coupled with a firm spot below the top ten on the EPL table. This defeat only proved that the bulk of the job needed to revamp this team falls on the desk of the front office.

Coupled with their inability to close major trade deals, when presented with the opportunity to out coach an established manager in Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær choked, proving that Tottenham had the better players and the better coaching staff.

The difference in dexterity between both clubs and perhaps similarly matched opponents cannot be overcome based on past reputation and glory, and it certainly can’t be overcome by will power alone.

Manchester United must make the necessary moves it needs before the trade windows closes. Also, the coaching staff must carry a chip on its shoulders, knowing that when they face equally established or even more versed opponents the pedigree of the coaching staff and high level strategies they devise would be the deciding factor.

What went wrong with Liverpool

Analyzing the match from top to bottom, you could sense an overall lack of energy from Liverpool, almost like they never would have in their wildest dreams imagined to be blown out by an Aston Villa. This ended up biting them in the back as Aston Villa fed off Liverpool’s sloppiness and took the opportunity to make a statement.

Head coach of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp insisted that the team is fully to blame. “I can’t explain, I’m not sure, but I can tell you what I saw.” He stated when asked what went wrong.

He had no excuses other than the lack of energy his team displayed and took full responsibility for the team’s abysmal showing. “You could see already first half, body language dropped and all these kinds of things. You’re 4-1 down, but how the game was we didn’t think we should stop playing.”

For this team however, ‘bad luck’ is elaborately defines their performance. No doubt, over confidence played a key role in their loss, nonetheless, as a sports club, those unideal days where things may not go as expected, and David slays Goliath. For Liverpool this was simply the case, while Manchester needs a new out look.