[Sultan]

United got overrun in midfield. We needed another midfielder to match their three. Unfortunately, they're all out injured. Herrera didn't help having a very disappointing game.

 

[DevilRed]

It is literally the way to go about it. Beat the big teams at home, draw at their place.

I swear some of you have wiped the whole Fergie era from your memories. Drawing tough away games against title rivals was a hallmark of most of our title-winning campaigns. What’s really odd about this memory loss is that we saw Fergie at his most pragmatic (most Mourinho-like, if you will) in his mor recent (and most succesful) years in charge. So you’re not being asked to recall stuff from the dim and distant past!

Yes im completely baffled as to why people expect us to go to anfield and dominate. When have we ever done that? The only time was when Mata had his double and stevie G got sent off.

Other than that, we have always struggled at anfield. Dont forget, historically we have always smashed the dippers at OT. Lets wait for the return leg and im sure you will see a much different approach.

 

[Emrethis]

I can accept a point at Anfield, but your second reason for us setting this way doesn't make sense at all.

I know that it sounds a little odd. But I think that Jose doesn't want big wins early on. Especially at a place like Anfield so early in the season. I've seen Nev give interviews where they say that if United win at Anfield, then they believe they can go for the title.

Would Jose love a win at Anfield? Of course he would. But I don't think he wants the team to blow Liverpool away. He would want a scrappy 1-0 win or a draw, because that would keep the players grounded. Too often we see teams beat a big team away from home and lose the next game against smaller teams. That could be a reason why he set up defensively and conservatively, instead of playing more expansively against Liverpool.

Of course it could just be that Jose just does what he always does against big teams and parks the bus. But I think that if we won convincingly at Anfield, the team would become overconfident and believe that they were going to win the title. And at this point in time, its crucial that the players avoid this, because these players aren't Scholes, Giggs or Nev. They don't have the title-winning experience. They need to stay grounded, keep fighting as the underdog and whatever happens, happens.

Basically, at this moment in time, we need to win the league like 'Leceister', because our players don't yet have the experience to win the title like we used to. For the first half of the season, I think we need to keep grinding out victories, so the players stay grounded and to build up momentum so that when Feb and March come around, we can start blowing teams away for one final push for the title. The last thing we want is for the players to run out of steam by Feb and March, which is what Arsenal used to do when they were relevant, and what could happen to Man City.

Those are just my thoughts on the current situation. Admittedly, I could just be clutching at straws here, trying to find the positives.

 

[Raoul]

I still think the last 8 years shows a teams long term quality but if you want to go current form then that backs up my point too.

Why not go back a few more years and factor in their two CL finals in that case. Probably because it’s not relevant to your extravagantly half thought out thesis.

 

[Lash]

I think we can safely say, that was 2 hours of my life I'll never get back.

Ill put a line under it and move on. Was hoping for more, but it's not a bad result at all.

@Pogue Mahone has it spot on with people seemingly completely forgetting Fergie used to set up for big games like this all the time. I think when people have calmed down and look back at this game when the season is further down the line, they'll be saying something different.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Aaargh, but you said that you thought that 0 wins in 8 is an accurate reflection of their ability?

I said that was their current form. It's 1 win in 8 by the way they beat Leicester 3-2.

 

[Jericholyte2]

I don't get everyone going after José's tactics...we played same system against other teams, but I doubt very much that his tactics included defenders tackling each other or barely any player being able to pass the ball beyond 10yds.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Why not go back a few more years and factor in their two CL finals in that case. Probably because it’s not relevant to your extravagantly half thought out thesis.

Correct.

 

[sammsky1]

United got overrun in midfield. We needed another midfielder to match their three. Unfortunately, they're all out injured. Herrera didn't help having a very disappointing game.

yeah, thats also what Mourinho said post match. Was quite obvious.

Herrera and also Mhkitariyan werr also very poor and did not propely deliver on Mourinho's tactical plan.

All things considered (injuries and form) a point was the most we deserved.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

I said that was their current form. It's 1 win in 8 by the way they beat Leicester 3-2.

Jeez, I think you're getting yourself confused now. You said it was their current form, I said 'yes, but do you think it's an accurate reflection of their ability', and you replied Yes!

 

[Florida Man]

We had no midfield today and people are surprised they, game raisers I might add, overran us. Miserable twats in the football forum shocker. A point at Anfield under these circumstances wasa good result.

 

[sammsky1]

I don't get everyone going after José's tactics...we played same system against other teams, but I doubt very much that his tactics included defenders tackling each other or barely any player being able to pass the ball beyond 10yds.

Our short passing or ball retention was appalling. The youth team that I coach reguallry do better than we did today. We must have committed at least 15 unforced errors.

 

[DevilRed]

After an international break, we are usually pretty poor. Today was no different. Not an excuse, but the last time we dropped points was yet again away from home against stoke.

Would be nice to get a home game after one of these stupid unnecessary international weeks.

 

[HaliRed]

Good result. But a bit of a head scratcher from the skipper, for sure.

I understand that a leopard doesn't change its spots, even if you are playing a team with a headless chicken defense and with Captain Horrenderson at the helm.

I have no issue at all with soak up and counter either. But, if you're doing so, then bloody well start Rashers and Lingard out there to chase balls along side Lukaku.

Everyone here is savaging Herrera, Matic and Mikhi, but they had no runners down the channels. These tactics work with the right personnel and I believe this is where Jose got it wrong. I love Martial but he runs with the ball unlike Rashford and Lingard who run into empty spaces all day long. Ashley Young doesn't have the legs for it.

It just felt like any time our midfielders gathered the ball, they had to dally on it longer that they should because no one was making runs.

Having said all that, a point at Anfield. Liverpool only trouble us on two occasions (Matip and Can chances), so I was very happy with the defense today.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Jeez, I think you're getting yourself confused now. You said it was their current form, I said 'yes, but do you think it's an accurate reflection of their ability', and you replied Yes!

I said yes they are defensively inept. That was the part of their ability that I was saying the run of results highlights.

I don't have a crystal ball. I can't say how many games they will win between now and the end of the season but IF they continue to defend the way they are now they wont be anywhere near the top 4 come the end of the season.

 

[ForlansHair]

Fergie did used to set up similarly. The difference was he had the likes of Evra instead of Darmian, Scholes instead of Herrera, Ronaldo Rooney Tevez instead of Martial Lukaku Young, a huge upgrade in most areas of the pitch and always an attacking threat. We don’t have anyone (fit) near this level of player in any of those positions (Lukaku and Tevez maybe but that’s it).

Happy with a point.

 

[Sultan]

yeah, thats also what Mourinho said post match. Was quite obvious.

Herrera and also Mhkitariyan werr also very poor and did not propely deliver on Mourinho's tactical plan.

All things considered (injuries and form) a point was the most we deserved.

Yes, a draw is a good result. I think it's a great place to be when we're disappointed with a draw at Anfield after a few years of having mediocre teams. Standards are up and we now expect better.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

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

Still, that's the way to play the game.

 

[United Pro]

Truly dreadful performance as a whole, but there is some merit in what Mourinho was saying. We had 3 midfielders out in Pogba, Fellaini and Carrick. It was pretty obvious that Liverpool's midfield 3 were dominant against our midfield 2 and those injuries meant that unless Mourinho was going to risk playing Tuanzebe or Lindelof there, Liverpool were always going to dominate the midfield and hence possession.
But saying that, I really don't like the way Mourinho has set up against Liverpool these last 2 seasons as he's given them way too much credit. Hopefully, in our next fixture we will have a full squad to choose from, so there can be no excuses from Mourinho as to why we effectively parked the bus.
The result of getting a draw away at Anfield is not bad. But, the performance was disappointing.

 

[prtk0811]

United got overrun in midfield. We needed another midfielder to match their three. Unfortunately, they're all out injured. Herrera didn't help having a very disappointing game.

It was a tough game for herrera to dominate in a 3v2 situation all the time. A third midfeilder is always free to make penetrative runs. Herrera is not a roy keane do do it all.

We needed a 433 we could have brough in blind or lindelof in the middle as an extra body and a player who can pass the ball.

We are trusting mkh to maintain an attacking presense but he lets us down again and again and its time to stop trusting him in big games. and trust mata and mid 3 to deliver more.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

I said yes they are defensively inept. That was the part of their ability that I was saying the run of results highlights.

I don't have a crystal ball. I can't say how many games they will win between now and the end of the season but IF they continue to defend the way they are now they wont be anywhere near the top 4 come the end of the season.

You don't seem to want to acknowledge that they are a better team than their form suggests and this poor run that they are on is likely to come to an end sooner rather than later. That's the most likely scenario though.

 

[prtk0811]

If 9 out of 10 times you punt the ball long to lukaku instantly you get in possession under high pressure , there is some problem.

We wont create any chances this way.

 

[Fully Fledged]

You don't seem to want to acknowledge that they are a better team than their form suggests and this poor run that they are on is likely to come to an end sooner rather than later. That's the most likely scenario though.

No I don't and as I said their record over the last 8 seasons backs up my belief that they aren't a top team.

 

[SwansonsTache]

We had no midfield today and people are surprised they, game raisers I might add, overran us. Miserable twats in the football forum shocker. A point at Anfield under these circumstances wasa good result.

This.

They had a very energetic midfield three while we had a two that doesn't work together. We had absolutely no control in midfield and were chasing shadows most of the time, meanwhile they could commit Wijnaldaum as an additional attacker and outnumber us.

It wasn't an option today, but we shouldn't face any top 6 team with a midfield two. Games are mostly lost or won in midfield, especially when top teams face each other.

 

[MrBest]

Can't believe we made there defence look good. The gk had one shot to save. Cant say I'm not suprised with how we played. City will walk the league. Hopefully we come second.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

If 9 out of 10 times you punt the ball long to lukaku instantly you get in possession under high pressure , there is some problem.

We wont create any chances this way.

If the fullbacks are not going forward properly and Martial and Mhki are not on their game the ball is always going to come straight back at you.

 

[Aniefiok]

0:0... Placed a bet, won!

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

No I don't and as I said their record over the last 8 seasons backs up my belief that they aren't a top team.

Wow, we're really going around in circles here...so you do think that their current form (1 win in 8) is going to continue throughout the rest of the season?

 

[Fully Fledged]

Wow, we're really going around in circles here...so you do think that their current form (1 win in 8) is going to continue throughout the rest of the season?

I think they will finish between 6th and 8th in the league. I think that's their true level.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

How come every game thread there seems to be one long argument? No matter the result.

 

[sammsky1]

Yes, a draw is a good result. I think it's a great place to be when we're disappointed with a draw at Anfield after a few years of having mediocre teams. Standards are up and we now expect better.

And all because Fellaini proved you wrong

 

[prtk0811]

If the fullbacks are not going forward properly and Martial and Mhki are not on their game the ball is always going to come straight back at you.

Its not the full backs and wingers fault also. Most of the time the total football ball circulation force you to defend with wingers to nullify the overlap, now how can you expect a winger and full backs to make off the ball run 50 - 75 m in attack to be positionally perfect when you punt the ball long in 2 seconds the moment you recive it. to negate that you have to press from the front for 90 mins which is not possible also.

Its like using no brain at all. By the time we get to attack there is 2 or 3 of our players in their box and 6 or 7 of them. and the attacking players eaisily get out numbered.

Thats why we need to play a 433 in big games so that the winger can stay high and be effective in attack without defensive duties. But we trust mkh too much and he always falls short in any position to attack.

SO why not keep the ball better and create better.

OUr ball citrculation has been very poor this season in high pressure , saw that against madrid , southhampton and today.

 

[Sultan]

And all because Fellaini proved you wrong

Granted he would have been handy in a midfield 3 today. He'd never be in my United first team if we had everyone fit.

 

[GM K]

To be honest, it was a rubbish performance. The Liverpool goalkeeper only needed to make ONE serious save in 93 minutes of football. We lacked intent, boldness, creativity and aggression. We were very average on the ball and a few players seemed intimidated by the atmosphere. From a tactical angle, our midfield was almost non existent and Lukaku was isolated throughout the game.

On a more positive note, we got a massive point considering how we were outplayed at Anfield. The game also proved how solid we can be defensively. This can be a major asset in the knockout round of the Champions League.

 

[GM K]

Granted he would have been handy in a midfield 3 today. He'd never be in my United first team if we had everyone fit.

Fellaini would have made that midfield much better. Herrera was terrible.

 

[LoneStar]

I'd rather win the league this way than become Arsenal or Liverpool. With Jose, this was always expected. The league is won by consistently beating the lower teams and nicking a draw/win against the big teams. And Jose is a master of this. The reaction here is just over the top.

We played poorly today, but a lot of it was on the players too. They couldn't string two passes together and take the ball forward. I expect the same thing against Spurs and City away too. I don't get it, did people expect Jose to go all out attack, when he's never done it in his career? He came to Anfield for a point and took it. He's a pragmatic manager and will always be someone who values results over everything else. And I'm glad he is our manager.

Also for all the Liverpool 'domination', they had one clear cut chance, the one which DDG saved. That's it. If Lukaku had scored that chance, the media would have been spinning this as a Mourinho masterclass.

 

[ManuMou]

All else being equal, in a super tight game like this (Anfield, game raiser, it's fecking scousers), game is, most of the time, won in the midfield.

1. Having Pog + Fel + Car all injured at the same time is a bit like winning a lottery.

2. Another big factor is that Mkhi significantly underperformed.

Those two factors combined, we didnt have a midfield.

In a defensice tactic, we can hardly blame attack (ie both Lukaku and Martial constantly facing at least two defenders) Our defense was good. So the biggest problem was the midfield. (There is no guaranteed that Pogba would have changed the midfield, though he could definitely improve it to a certain extent)

My point is, still too early to judge Jose's big game in his 2nd season without a proper 3 man midfield. Give him a couple of chance and judge again. I still believe he could improve his big game results this season. Super Cup was a negative, but only one sample size. This without a proper midfield. So, give him a coupoe more chances. Don't panic.

So I don't blame Jose. He did okay.

See the big pixture, and long term performance.

 

[Dobba]

Klopp has had weeks to come up with a plan to win that game. If he was (as it seemed) the only person not expecting United to line up like they did, especially after losing Fellaini, he's a bigger fraud than I thought. Hence his bullshit soundbite that has been lapped up by their fans.

 

[Jim Beam]

I know that it sounds a little odd. But I think that Jose doesn't want big wins early on. Especially at a place like Anfield so early in the season. I've seen Nev give interviews where they say that if United win at Anfield, then they believe they can go for the title.

Would Jose love a win at Anfield? Of course he would. But I don't think he wants the team to blow Liverpool away. He would want a scrappy 1-0 win or a draw, because that would keep the players grounded. Too often we see teams beat a big team away from home and lose the next game against smaller teams. That could be a reason why he set up defensively and conservatively, instead of playing more expansively against Liverpool.

Of course it could just be that Jose just does what he always does against big teams and parks the bus. But I think that if we won convincingly at Anfield, the team would become overconfident and believe that they were going to win the title. And at this point in time, its crucial that the players avoid this, because these players aren't Scholes, Giggs or Nev. They don't have the title-winning experience. They need to stay grounded, keep fighting as the underdog and whatever happens, happens.

Basically, at this moment in time, we need to win the league like 'Leceister', because our players don't yet have the experience to win the title like we used to. For the first half of the season, I think we need to keep grinding out victories, so the players stay grounded and to build up momentum so that when Feb and March come around, we can start blowing teams away for one final push for the title. The last thing we want is for the players to run out of steam by Feb and March, which is what Arsenal used to do when they were relevant, and what could happen to Man City.

Those are just my thoughts on the current situation. Admittedly, I could just be clutching at straws here, trying to find the positives.

Mourinho is known for his strong start to the season. It was a trademark of all his previous title-winning teams. Fergie once said that he had to change his approach because of that and prevent him to make huge distance until December.

Don't really see how would trashing Liverpool today hurt us philologically. You naturally try to win every game, especially big ones because you would want as much confidence in your team.
One thing I also don't agree is that Mourinho wanted to park the bus for the whole game. We didn't look so bad at the start, playing with a high defensive line and we tried to impose ourselves. The big problem in today's game was that our players couldn't make a simple pass and got worse as the game went on, eventually inviting more pressure on us. I think that seeing that he decided to close the store and take a point.

 

[itso 7]

It was a tough game for herrera to dominate in a 3v2 situation all the time. A third midfeilder is always free to make penetrative runs. Herrera is not a roy keane do do it all.

We needed a 433 we could have brough in blind or lindelof in the middle as an extra body and a player who can pass the ball.

We are trusting mkh to maintain an attacking presense but he lets us down again and again and its time to stop trusting him in big games. and trust mata and mid 3 to deliver more.

But there weren't being asked to dominate the midfield, we came in with the plan to concede possession but I don't think asking Herrera and Mkhitaryan to be more careful with the ball was too much to ask? There were opportunities on the break that were just squandered through needlessly giving away possession with silly passes.