Los Blancos Liverpool beaten at their own game by the Devils in Red
Manchester United 2 Liverpool 1
Manchester United 2 Liverpool 1
Since writing in earnest on the football team I adore I haven’t had to form any sign of a coherent sentence on their demise against the old foes from down the East Lancs Road in the north west “Derby” that rules them all. Alas, all good things must come to an end and Jurgen Klopp’s threadbare and toothless team can have no complaints as to this evening’s defeat. In truth, the all whites from Liverpool only played in earnest for the final ten minutes of each half with Roberto Firmino as good as anyone in a first half as he hurried and scurried for loose balls and opportunities to start play from the “false number 9” position, and with Harvey Elliott really growing into the game as the first half wore on. The concession of the second goal so early in the second half stopped anything vaguely resembling a fight back and it wasn’t until the final ten minutes, and with the addition of Fabio Carvalho from the substitutes bench, that the all white Reds finally started playing again. Mo Salah’s scrambled goal on 81 minutes gave the visitors hope as well as a 4/5 minute spell of intense pressure but, like the remainder of the match as a whole, they never threatened to score again.
Yes James Milner’s header was scrambled away from the goal line fortuitously as Bruno Fernandez and Lisandro Martinez conspired to spare each other’s blushes, but this was both a half chance and the only real chance created by Liverpool in the first half. The second half? Corners and crosses from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson saw tame headers from a Roberto Firmino who faded from the game, Fabinho, surprisingly substitute and then even more surprisingly, replacing captain Jordan Henderson rather than perhaps James Milner in midfield. Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea saved smartly from a scrambled goal bound effort which seemed to come via his defender Lisandro Martinez at the near post but again with brutal honesty, he didn’t have much else to do all game. The above is a true summation of the minor chances created by Liverpool in a game they lost, lost badly, and deserved nothing from a game they barely participated in.
If David De Gea had a surprisingly light evening, Liverpool’s Alisson Becker had a far busier night “between the sticks” and if it wasn’t for the far post of his goal frame or his brilliantly athletic one handed save from a goal bound free kick from Christian Eriksen, his team could have gone into half-time in a far deeper deficit than the slender 1–0 advantage to their hosts and historic foes. Where Anthony Elanga should have scored, but hit the post with Becker beaten, on ten minutes, he was part of an incredible team goal that opened the scoring, and very deservedly so, six minutes later. The one-two or “wall pass” between Christian Eriksen and Anthony Elanga that set up the coolly taken goal by Jadon Sancho was exquisite enough, but don’t discount the cycling of the ball, attacking, retreating, ball retention and then the precision strike of the one-two that led to a great team goal.
Prior to what turned out to be the game’s winning goal from Marcus Rashford, Liverpool were creaking, dishevelled and every time a home team player had a shard of space in midfield he’d release a forward pass that would spring open both the game as a whole as well as gaping holes in the Reds defence. Henderson’s sloppiness on the halfway line gave rise to a loose ball that was again helped through huge gaps in a retreating Liverpool defence who could only watch as Rashford ran through on goal and easily beat Becker in the Reds goal.
Stark reality or one fan’s measured perspective, but tonight the team I adore were beaten and beaten at their own game. As much as it pains me to admit, Manchester United deserved a victory whereby they pressed high, committed players forward with intent and matched the required intensity of a physical, feisty, frenetic and at times frantic local derby. The opening 35 minutes of the game was testament to this. The hosts were quicker, sharper and brighter with an intent to play the game in Liverpool’s half of the field and with intensity and quick forward passes that shredded the Reds defence time and again.
They were beaten at their own game and somewhat bullied out of even playing. The individual “battles” were all in favour of the hosts, with even Virgil van Dijk made to work, and work hard, next to a struggling Joe Gomez.
There’s some stark reality for you. As is the fact that my beloved team’s starting XI is one of the three best club football teams in the entire world, and as a former Liverpool Manager was so fond of saying, “that’s a fact”. But so is the threadbare nature of a squad missing Thiago Alcantara, Diogo Jota, Joel Matip, Curtis Jones (starters all) as well Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and the suspended new boy Darwin Nunez.
Dare I say Sadio Mane too? He wanted to leave, thus is football, but boy does this team miss his Senegalese footballing verve and spirit.
After last week’s draw with Crystal Palace I said this was going to be a “messy” season for the Reds and tonight was a painful indication of what lies ahead. This season smells like the lockdown season. Let’s just hope the Reds don’t need Alisson Becker to score a dramatic goal on the last day of the season again.
No panic, but there’s problems ahead. Face facts.
Over to you Jurgen.
*Now I’m going to wash my mouth out with soap and water and howl at a full moon*
Thanks for reading (a painful read!). My three most recent articles on the Reds are linked below:
Liverpool 1 Crystal Palace 1
10 man Reds scrap for a point in another forgettable gamemedium.com
Fulham 2 Liverpool 2
A point gained beside the River Thames for an out of sorts Redsmedium.com
Liverpool 3 Manchester City 1
Darwin Nunez sparkles as the Reds lift the first trophy of a new seasonmedium.com