- United resorted to what looked arguably as their best starting team – bar Maguire – for this game against Liverpool, after resting a whole team in the midweek loss against Leicester. United started brightly, scored early and controlled the first 20 minutes of the game. Then Liverpool took over and scored twice before half time and another one at the start of the second half. Ole pulled Fred out midway through the second half, Greenwood came in and the game changed again. Rashford reduced the gap to just one goal and United had the chances to pull level as they pressed Liverpool in their final third, and Phillips cleared off the Liverpool line from a Greenwood shot. It wasn’t to be, as Salah punished us on the counter at the end. It was a disappointing result and at times the United players looked in disarray, particularly at the back. Liverpool players seemed to want the win more than our players and at the end they were rewarded. It is frustrating because this United team today is – in my opinion – better than the Liverpool team fielded at Old Trafford, so to lose is hard to take. Thankfully I can get consolation in looking at the table and seeing Liverpool still 10 points and three places behind United. Going forward, Ole has to find the way how the team starts winning again to be able to go to Gdansk with some sort of momentum.
- It is when you have to do without something or someone that one understands how important that someone is. That’s exactly the case of Harry Maguire. The captain’s absence has been a huge blow for Ole at this juncture. Against Liverpool, his leadership and organisational skills at the back were massively missed, as more often than not we looked all over the place. This highlights two things. One is the importance of Maguire for this United team. The second is that we need more strength in depth in the summer to get our back four in shape. We cannot fail again to but a very good defender in the next transfer window.
- Special mention today goes to who? Henderson did not fill himself with glory in a couple of occasions today, Shaw was very erratic, central defenders and central midfield were less than satisfactory and up front, no one really contributed to change the course of the game. So I choose AWB. Consistent, very difficult to beat, an honest defender and also improving when he goes forward on that right flank.
Looking forward to receiving your thoughts on the Facebook page. GGMU
Article contributed by Contributor Roderick. Comments are appreciated on our Facebook page.