For Liverpool and Man United, managerial futures are the next big question

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Yet it felt perhaps only the seventh-most significant fixture of the weekend, behind the games involving the two title contenders, Arsenal and Manchester City, and the four sides still scrapping to avoid joining Wolves and Burnley in being relegated this season – Leeds, Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Tottenham.United’s 3-2 win sealed their place in next season’s Champions League while, barring very odd swings of goal difference, Liverpool need just three points from their remaining three games to be certain of their own qualification. For both, the biggest issue now is deciding who manages them next season – and this was a ragged enough game to cast doubts over the suitability of Michael Carrick and Arne Slot for their respective sides.All the indications from Anfield are that they will stick with Slot, although when United went 2-0 up inside 14 minutes there was a thought that this could be a defeat of such magnitude that it might make his position untenable.

Nobody could pretend Liverpool have been good this season – they have lost 11 Premier League games, and were utterly outplayed by Paris Saint-Germain in the away leg of their Champions League quarter-final defeat – but there are explanations.Most obviously there was the death of Diogo Jota. Unless, that is, Liverpool have an outstanding candidate already lined up to replace him.Slot’s biggest problem, perhaps, is that the relationship between Klopp and Liverpool fans was so intense, so exhausting, that whatever came next was always going to seem, perhaps necessarily, more transactional.

This is fine so long as results are good, but means there is very little affection to draw on when performances dip.If Liverpool have questions to answer, the sense is that United have an answer to question. At first glance, that looks exceptional, but United’s early exits from both cup competitions and their lack of European football has meant that they are much fresher than almost every opponent they have faced in his tenure.