Erik ten Hag suggests 'a kick in the a***' may be required to get Marcus Rashford back to his goalscoring best as the under-fire Dutchman's Man United prepare to face Premier League leaders Liverpool

Erik ten Hag has indicated he may need to employ a direct approach in order to help the likes of Marcus Rashford return to form this season.

Rashford was absent with illness as United suffered a ignominious European exit at the hands of Bayern Munich on Wednesday, a result that will likely prove to have wider financial ramifications for the club.

This, compounded by his side's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth last weekend has led to speculation that Sunday's clash with Liverpool could be make or break for the Dutchman's tenure despite a successful debut season in charge at Old Trafford.

Rashford took a starring role during latter half of that campaign but has so far been unable to consistently replicate those performances this season, with just two goals in 15 appearances.

Asked whether the faltering squad require a comforting approach or more direct action, Ten Hag appeared to indicate the latter.

'I think for almost any player it’s an arm around the shoulder, sometimes a kick in the a***.

'It can make a difference in the management which approach you are taking, a kick in the a** or an arm around the shoulder.'

Since his arrival at the club the former Ajax boss has been unwavering in his dealings with players behind the scenes.

In his now infamous interview with Piers Morgan prior to leaving the club Cristiano Ronaldo claimed he did not respect Ten Hag because the manager did not respect him.

Likewise Jadon Sancho remains frozen out after a public rift with the 53-year-old that could see him depart the club in January just two years after his £73m arrival from Borussia Dortmund.

Questioned about his job security should his side suffer a third successive defeat in all competitions when they travel to Anfield Ten Hag refused to speculate and insisted his team are a work in progress.

'I’m not concerned about that. I want to win, I want to win with my team, progress the team in the right direction. We are here in a project. 

'Last season we were heading in the right direction. This season we haven’t met the standards we expect to have. That’s the truth. We have had a setback.

'I think the future for Manchester United is very good if you see how many good players we have in the squad, how many good young players who have really high potential to play at a top level worldwide. I am sure when the injured players come back this team will perform better.'