[Catt]

I'm still having a wank later.

I'm not but that's definitely the right attitude to have.

 

[sizzling sausages]

What was the score?

1-0, Rooney scored.

 

[Dumbstar]

We don't even know how much the Fellaini injury has impacted on how we were going to play. Then Bailly injury on top of that. Then Rashford not being able to start. He might even have played both Martial and Rashford. We don't know.

It's Jose Mourinho. I think we all know! Those who don't, I feel sorry for.

 

[RobinLFC]

Disappointed with the result. A draw was fair but it's a good result for United and a bad one for Liverpool.

Can't believe Mourinho set you up so defensively once again, especially when you know how vulnerable we are at the back. It worked though, he got what he wanted and Lukaku really should've scored the one chance you had. Although he got little help from his team, he was non-existent today.

Frustrated with Klopp as well. No matter how great Firmino is, we clearly lack a goal scoring threat and Sturridge came on too late, and wasn't involved once he came on. Salah was great so no idea why he got subbed, and Coutinho should play 90mins unless it was fatigue issues after the travels to Brazil.

We were dominant but that was to be expected due to United's approach. That's not enough though, we didn't create enough and failed to take our chances, nothing new there. First clean sheet this season I think(?) but that says more about United's setup than it does, about us imo.

You should be happy with the outcome although I think Mourinho would be a fool if he plays like this against Europe's elite in thehet CL knockout stages, even though you got the result you wanted I think you were poor today.

Atmosphere at Anfield was rocking today, I thought by the way, or at least it looked like that in the scruffy pub I had to watch from.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

What was the score?

1-0.

Late Rooney winner

 

[van der star]

At the Etihad playing against 10 men for the majority of the game. And with a full squad.

We're talking about Liverpool. They're top 4 material, at best. If we want to win the league, we need to at least play against this kind of opposition, instead of sitting back and inviting them onto us all game. What would Man City do against us if we play against them like we did today?

 

[Irrational.]

Good interview there.

Liverpool could've gone for it a bit more by sacrificing a midfielder but Klopp chose not to, so him taking the moral high ground is bullshit.

 

[paulscholes18]

I missed the match due to work, how did the team set up

Was it
DDG
Mkhitaryan Valencia Smalling Jones Darmian Young
Herrera Matic
Lukaku Martial

 

[AlwaysRed66]

Won a point due to the performance yet again of our only world class player. The rest today were average at best. Also, can anyone explain how that excuse for a left back Darmien played again. He offers nothing going forward & was a liability defending. I know Shaw is out injured, but isn't there any player at the club, 1st team/reserve/youth, who is of a better standard.

 

[Carolina Red]

Tough away game after an international break and with a larger injury list after the break than before it, but we come away with a point and clean sheet.

Poor viewing, but I'll take the result.

 

[vivaronaldo]

Always been told win at home draw away against your rivals and you will be in with a shot.... lfc the unhappier of the 2 at the draw and I’m fine with that ...we move on

 

[minoo-utd]

What Jose said after this shit of a performance?

 

[Handsome Devil]

We were toothless but did get a difficult away point and still unbeaten....yet this is enough for the usual Jose haters to sharpen their knives. Sad.

 

[JJ12]

Absolute guff

 

[mu4c_20le]

Louis would have gone for it

 

[Denis79]

Sigh.

You can't honestly think that we came in to this game with the right tactics or mentality, They didn't outplay us so we were forced to play as deep as we were and when we won the ball we hit it for god and country towards Lukaku and hoped for the best. Awful football.

 

[Freak]

What Jose said after this shit of a performance?

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-F...ol-0-Manchester-United-0-Sat-14-Oct-2017.aspx

MOURINHO'S VERDICT ON LIVERPOOL DRAW
Jose Mourinho has described Manchester United’s 0-0 stalemate against Liverpool at Anfield as “a positive point”.

The Reds kept another clean sheet and maintained our unbeaten run in the Premier League by playing out a goalless draw against Jurgen Klopp’s men on Merseyside.

Here is what the boss had to say in his post-match interviews with Sky Sports…

REFLECTING ON THE GAME
“In the first half, we had the ball and were always compact. We had a few shots in the second half. They played with a very strong midfield of [Emre] Can, [Georginio] Wijnaldum and [Jordan] Henderson for 90 minutes but, in the second half, I had no-one on the bench to change the direction of the game. I thought they were afraid of our counter attack. I just tried to improve in attacking areas where I could surprise them, but they kept a strong organisation in midfield. I was waiting for him [Jurgen Klopp] to break it [the play] a bit more. But he didn’t let it break.”

FEW OPTIONS ON THE BENCH
“The opposition was good today, but we played our game. In the first half, we had a couple of very good chances and good control of the game. In the second half, [Nemanja] Matic tired and I had no solutions on the bench. I tried with my substitutions to make us more dynamic in attack but, in reality, we lost power and energy and control in midfield.”

THE APPROACH FROM BOTH TEAMS
“I think he [Klopp] did well. He didn’t let the game break. I think [Jesse] Lingard and [Marcus] Rashford were waiting for the game to break but it did not. I think they were very good team from a defensive point of view, much pressing. The only chance I had to change the direction of the game was to bring players on with speed and maybe, they are going to change their formation but they didn’t. The second half was like a game of chess but my opponent didn’t open the door for me to win the game.”

TACTICAL INSIGHT
“We came for three points but in the second half we felt it difficult to do that with the match and the dynamic it had. I was waiting for Jurgen to change to go more attacking but he kept the three strong midfield players all the time and he had control. I had only Herrera and Matic. When I brought on Rashford and Lingard, I expected him [Klopp] to change but he kept the three which means his midfield was stronger today. At times, I was waiting for my team to do something but I couldn’t do anything with no midfielder on the bench. It was a game of chess in the second half.”

 

[paulscholes18]

Louis would have gone for it

I miss LVG for prem away games to Liverpool

 

[OohAahMartial]

Maybe would have been good to have McTominay on the bench or to not have loaned both TFM and Pereira. The bench was empty of options for a reason. Wouldnt have hurt to try Tuanzebe in midfield as he's been mint everywhere else.

On the whole with all the negative factors that were against us a point was a better result for us than them. Just hope we get some players back from injury soon and that we pick up our form again. Will be tricky and essential to rotate to let the players with knocks or tiredness to recover ie. Rashford, Lukaku, Bailly, Matic.

Btw what injury has Carrick and Bailly got?

 

[Roboc7]

We're talking about Liverpool. They're top 4 material, at best. If we want to win the league, we need to at least play against this kind of opposition, instead of sitting back and inviting them onto us all game. What would Man City do against us if we play against them like we did today?

The other side to it is Liverpool have good record against top six and it's been shown best way to play them is sit back and hit them on the break, they were giving city a lot of problems until the sending off.

Our passing and the performances of the attacking players was poor, an open game would have suited them and in the end point is a good result.

 

[Will Singh]

Clean sheet, De Gea produced a worldie! There defence was there for taking but we all by now know Mourinho and it is frustrating but on a positive spin it was our worst display this season and Liverpool the team who ripped Arsenal a new one at Anfield this season couldn't beat us!

 

[donkeyfish]

Disappointed with the result. A draw was fair but it's a good result for United and a bad one for Liverpool.

Can't believe Mourinho set you up so defensively once again, especially when you know how vulnerable we are at the back. It worked though, he got what he wanted and Lukaku really should've scored the one chance you had. Although he got little help from his team, he was non-existent today.

Frustrated with Klopp as well. No matter how great Firmino is, we clearly lack a goal scoring threat and Sturridge came on too late, and wasn't involved once he came on. Salah was great so no idea why he got subbed, and Coutinho should play 90mins unless it was fatigue issues after the travels to Brazil.

We were dominant but that was to be expected due to United's approach. That's not enough though, we didn't create enough and failed to take our chances, nothing new there. First clean sheet this season I think(?) but that says more about United's setup than it does, about us imo.

You should be happy with the outcome although I think Mourinho would be a fool if he plays like this against Europe's elite in thehet CL knockout stages, even though you got the result you wanted I think you were poor today.

Atmosphere at Anfield was rocking today, I thought by the way, or at least it looked like that in the scruffy pub I had to watch from.

I immediately assumed it was fatigue-related subs both Salah and Coutinho, two best players on the pitch. Salah involved in some intense qualifiers with Egypt right?

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

I think you are trying to narrow this discussion to a very, very limited perspective. Yes if someone asks me what was the best feeling as a United fan apart from title and cup wins, it probably would be something like O'Shea's winner at Anfield or Giggsy's solo run vs Arsenal. Those are one offs that you don't even need to be a rival to enjoy. That's a bit of an obvious one as far as I am concerned which makes it a boring thing to discuss. Of course I would have been happy to sneak one in at the death today because it would mean a very enjoyable evening at the pub. I am not commenting about today though, I am commenting about our direction as a club under Mourinho.

Top of the league, top of our CL group...direction seems fine to me. What you mean is that Mourinho doesn't play exactly the type of football that you would like to see and therefore after every questionable display or result you will pop up to tell us that even winning the league will be embarrassing unless he conforms to the style of play that you have deemed worthy of a 'top' club.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Perhaps he would be wise to have rested Matic after 60 minutes when we've been comfortable then. But he never takes him off, even when we are in total control and the match is won.

How Herrera can be tired after being sat on the bench for the whole season I don't know.

He wouldn't be tired, but he would be off the pace. We needed an extra man in there.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Excellent result. But we must sort out our passing in midfield to the final third. It was unintelligent and inept most of the game. Save for the Lukaku shot on target

 

[automaticflare]

I am not sure where the defensively set up thing has come from. We basically played the same system as we have all season with young coming in for mata which I can understand. I could understand the defensive shout if we took out miki and put in lindelof.

We were forced to play defensively. Partly because Liverpool played well. However with mane out they had no real threat behind and we knew that and allowed them to pass the ball in front of us so it became easy for us to defend. Teams need to do this. It is a valuable asset.

That being said our attacking threat then needs to come from pace on the counter attack. Today we couldn't establish anything like that. Smalling distribution from the back was dreadful as usual and stopped a couple of counters. Valencia must have sliced ball out of play 3 or 4 times when we had chance to counter. Herrera and miki were absolutely awful on the ball. That's 2 of our midfield 3. Literally could not pass the ball 4 yards. Martial was ineffective except for the one two for lukaku chance. Lukaku himself didn't hold up the ball well although that was in part down to poor distribution into him. Rashford didn't get fed the ball once when he came on.

So now with all that said how the fook were we supposed to come and attack. We could t even establish a fundamental threat on the counter because s lot of our player simpler performed poorly with the ball. That is not down to manager it is just poor individual play. If we can't hit a counter which most of the time envolves a ball into space in the channel after transitioning how the feck are we going to control possession and establish dominance especially when 2 of our 3 midfielders had potentially their worst games ever for us with the ball.

Be glad that we can perform so poorly as individuals in attack but have a manager that can still ensure we don't do anything stupid and give away a game like Klopp has by having a foundational defensive solidity.

A point away at anfield and some are complaining, some of you need your head checked folks.

 

[Buchan]

I hate this fixture. We got a good point. Onwards towards Huddersfield.

 

[Ayush_reddevil]

While Jose obviously had us playing tight I think a lot of times players gets away with basic mistakes on a day like this . I don't think that Jose told his players to just clear the ball away without looking to pass which our defenders did a lot . When you play defensively you need the midfielders to try to pass the ball forward quickly and accurately. You also need your attacking players to take on the defenders but likes of martial & Mkhi did nothing at all

 

[ravi2]

This game gave me flashbacks of LVG, we were lucky to escape with the draw.
DDG is the best keeper in the world right now imo

 

[Emrethis]

Good result. Jose's tactics were spot on. I can accept that he set up to draw for 2 reasons.

1. Injuries. I think derbies are the games where injuries are the most likely. We played to avoid injuries to our players because at the moment, we don't have much cover. An injury to matic, lukaku or jones could end our title aspirations.

2. Complacency. Yes, if we attacked liverpool, we could beat them 4-0. If this happened, the confidence of the team could skyrocket. But I think that this more often than not leads to overconfidence and complacency. In this first half of the season, overconfidence is fatal. What we need is to keep grinding out victories and draws like this, while maintaining touching distance of the title. This keeps the team on their toes and alert for every game. I believe that is also what fergie used to do, which is why United used to be notoriously slow starters. In fact, I can't remember a single moment under fergie where a draw at anfield was a bad result, no matter how badly or negatively we played.

We drew, its over. Let's move on, the title is still on.

 

[Handsome Devil]

Not overly despondent about result. We didn't lose so I don't have to hermetically seal myself off from football media for rest of weekend.
Bit disturbed by The Neville though. What is his problem?

 

[RobinLFC]

I immediately assumed it was fatigue-related subs both Salah and Coutinho, two best players on the pitch. Salah involved in some intense qualifiers with Egypt right?

I think so yeah, scored 2 goals including a penalty in extra time is all I know. With Coutinho the jetlag and distance is always an issue, Firmino got subbed as well so it's probably just that. Still though, Salah didn't look tired to me.

 

[Denis79]

What Jose said after this shit of a performance?

That we played really well and controlled the game, which isn't untrue tbh. The team did execute Mourinhos tactic really well and Liverpool didn't produce much. Good result just very frustrated in Mourinhos approach because I think that if we went for the 3 points we would have got them.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

And again, I look at the bigger picture, not just one performance in isolation.

Yeah, this is the problem I think - some people are not able (or not willing) to see the bigger picture. If we get a point away to Liverpool, City and Chelsea and win most of our other games we will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

Good post, but the problem is that we went in playing for a draw...which is not really where we want to be after all the spending/rebuilding. Go for a win and come out with a draw, now that's acceptable. But this is just the defensive mentality of Mou, that we'd never see under Fergie.

I take it you didn't see us at the Etihad in 2012?!

 

[donkeyfish]

I think so yeah, scored 2 goals including a penalty in extra time is all I know. With Coutinho the jetlag and distance is always an issue, Firmino got subbed as well so it's probably just that. Still though, Salah didn't look tired to me.

How does he normally look? Some players never look tired, while others are pouring sweat after 1 minute. Hard to tell for me at least.

 

[Godfather]

Really dull performance.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

That we played really well and controlled the game, which isn't untrue tbh. The team did execute Mourinhos tactic really well and Liverpool didn't produce much. Good result just very frustrated in Mourinhos approach because I think that if we went for the 3 points we would have got them.

Or been picked off by Liverpool and lost. It's literally impossible to predict what would have happened if we had played a more open, expansive, attacking game - the only thing that is certain is that we have a point today. Other documentary evidence (for instance Liverpool's record in big games against the top 6) suggests that the odds would have been in favour of them beating us.

 

[B20]

United have a number of key players injured. I get the complaints about the performance but much better point for United than Liverpool in what is a tricky and unpredictable fixture.

We were also missing Mane, Lallana and Clyne. Don't think your prospects were bleak enough for that kind of approach.

Agree about the point fwiw.

 

[minoo-utd]

If we played this way against the current City team away from home and got a point I would not have complained at all, but against this Liverpool side if Jose went for it we would have won it IMO.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Some consolation if some need it, we were not at our best and they still couldn't beat us.