16 Conclusions: Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Date published: Tuesday 17th January 2017 9:03
* “If they are fighting for the title, which I believe they are, they need a result.”
That was Jose Mourinho’s pre-match attempt to put pressure on Liverpool. Mourinho never quite defined what “a result” was, but we can be pretty confident that Liverpool will take their 1-1 and be happy with it. Or perhaps both managers will see this as two points dropped.
In truth, if either Manchester United or Liverpool are to fight for anything more than a place in next season’s Champions League, they will need to play far better than at Old Trafford on Sunday. Chelsea may have slipped up against Tottenham, but they have a seven-point lead at the top. United may have extended their unbeaten run, but they are still four points away from a top-four place and closer to West Brom than Chelsea. This was a patched-up Liverpool team that matched United for effort and stamina, yet the title is further out of their reach than on Friday.
This was a match that highlighted how far both clubs have to go, rather than how far they have come. There were an alarming number of individual errors of both positioning and technique, with more chances created via mistake than attacking invention. The last ten minutes after United’s equaliser was a frantic, fraught, end-to-end basketball battle, both teams stretched but dangerous on the counter. Klopp’s happiness will stem from the under-strength nature of his side, plus the performances of Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho after injury.
* I feared for Liverpool due to the potential absence of Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana in midfield, but in fact it was the defence that prompted the most pre-match headaches on Merseyside. Nathaniel Clyne missed out through injury, leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold to start comfortably the biggest match of his career to date. Worse news was the absence of Joel Matip due to confusion over his eligibility after refusing to travel to the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon.
‘Matip, who was not included in Cameroon’s final squad for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, has previously communicated his withdrawal from consideration for international selection, with his last appearance for Cameroon occurring in September 2015,’ Liverpool’s statement read. Incredibly frustrating, having reportedly repeatedly tried to gain clarification from FIFA to no avail. That said, FIFA must be a little bit suspicious of a player retiring from international football at the age of 25 to miss one tournament, only to turn around in February and make himself available again. It is a loophole that needs a loop.
* From Friday’s Big Weekend column:
‘Sometimes a crunch fixture is the best way to engineer a response, but it doesn’t quite feel that way with Liverpool’s trip to Manchester United. Supporters are left in the uncomfortable position of desperately hoping for the return of Jordan Henderson. Klopp’s biggest issue is that any midfield absentee forces the selection of Emre Can or Lucas Leiva – one is out of form and the other was expected to leave this month. More lounge music than heavy metal.
‘By contrast, with Paul Pogba passing expansively and surging forward, Michael Carrick as the metronome and Ander Herrera as the roving reporter, United’s midfield looks extremely balanced. This is the 4-3-3 we were crying out for in September and October, and it’s proving damn effective.
‘It’s a whacking great cliché but these games are so often won in midfield: the team who copes best with the increased pressure when in possession and forces mistakes from the opposition, dominates the match. On the evidence of the last ten days and the players potentially unavailable to both managers, there is only one winner.’
Never underestimate the ability of football to make you (or at least me) look like a bloody idiot. Herrera might have played the roving reporter well, but Carrick and Pogba were both poor, with the latter completely desperate (more on that later). Liverpool cannot claim any significant control of the midfield, but nor too could United. Both midfields played as fragmented component parts rather than fluid systems.
* The game started in a scrappy manner, suggesting nerves. Pass completion in the first ten minutes was just 73%, with both teams over-hitting passes and failing to control the ball.
On United’s part that may have been caused by Liverpool’s shape, different to the one they had anticipated. Klopp chose to use a diamond formation, with Lallana at the head and Henderson at the base, with Can and Georginio Wijnaldum on the sides, pushing wide to press when required. Lallana’s presence flustered Carrick, stopping him from having time on the ball to dictate play, and thus flustered United.
This scrappiness played its part in the game’s opening chance, Dejan Lovren’s short backpass catching Simon Mignolet on his line. The goalkeeper got to the ball slightly ahead of the onrushing Zlatan Ibrahimovic but chose to try and clear the ball rather than sliding into a challenge. The result was the ball looping off Ibrahimovic and, eventually, just over the bar.
A mistake also produced the corner that led to the goal, Phil Jones caught in possession and eventually forced to poke the ball behind. Shall we be generous and say that the searing pace was forcing mistakes, or shall we be honest?
* That fragmentation in midfield was to become a theme of the game. See the pass completion percentages of the midfielders on show:
Michael Carrick – 89.3%
Georginio Wijnaldum (who was hugely improved) – 85.3%
Adam Lallana – 85.3%
Jordan Henderson – 77.8%
Ander Herrera – 74.6%
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 72.2%
Paul Pogba – 72%
Juan Mata – 71.4%
Emre Can – 71.4%
Philippe Coutinho – 66.7%
Wayne Rooney – 65.2%
At least I got one line right: ‘These games are so often won in midfield’. Neither side won, and so neither side won.
* On Friday, Pogba became the first footballer to get their own emoji, so Manchester United’s PR department were presumably delighted to see their midfielder trending on Twitter at half-time on Sunday. Unfortunately, it’s not all about the #numbers. Pogba has been in excellent form over the last few weeks, but produced a dreadful 90 minutes against Liverpool.
It started with the missed chance, scuffing wide from 12 yards when sent through by Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and ended with him being caught in midfield to produce a late Liverpool chance. In between came the stupid handball in his own penalty area that allowed Liverpool to take the lead. Pogba’s passing accuracy was 72%, he made one tackle and no interceptions and committed more fouls than any other player on the pitch in the first half.
* Yet Mourinho himself must take some responsibility for the goal. The penalty was awarded from the fourth set-piece on which Pogba had been assigned to Lovren, and the fourth set-piece on which Pogba had completely lost the Croatian.
On the first two, Pogba got stuck in traffic as Lovren came from behind his teammate to find space. On the third he was looking in the wrong direction as the ball came into the box. On the fourth he lost track of his position, threw his hands in the air to try and leap and make up the distance, and handled the ball. On another he wrestled with Jordan Henderson.
Remember at the start of the season when even the slightest shirt pull on a set piece led to a penalty. Not anymore pic.twitter.com/zqPdVihR9A
— Hassan Cheema (@mediagag) January 15, 2017
Why on earth didn’t Mourinho or his coaches spot the issue? Why didn’t one of the senior players point out the problem? If you hear a time bomb ticking and ignore the noise, don’t be surprised when it explodes.
* While we’re on Mourinho, what possible reason does the Manchester United manager have for leaving the pitch early before half-time? Is his bladder really that weak?
Deliberate or otherwise, it smacks of complacency, as if nothing could possibly go wrong while the manager is absent. It’s one thing doing that at 2-0 up, but at 1-0 down against Liverpool it looked odd to see Mourinho walking down the touchline with four minutes until the half-time whistle.
As it happened, the noise of the crowd stopped Mourinho in the tunnel, and he ended up peering over the heads of security personnel to watch the action. Just get someone else to cut up the oranges, Jose.
* Given that the vast majority of us only have experience as outfield players, the way we judge saves may be slightly flawed. There are obviously certain saves that all can agree are exceptional, but we tend to be more impressed by the acrobatic and fingertip than anything else.
Mignolet’s save from Ibrahimovic’s free-kick was not acrobatic or worthy of slow-motion replay, but any goalkeeper would stand to applaud. The tiny reaction time from a set-piece hit at full power made it incredibly difficult, and yet Mignolet got down low to his right and parried the ball away. The reaction of his teammates demonstrated just how impressive it was.
One or two pundits wondered whether Loris Karius might keep his place after impressing against Southampton on Wednesday, keeping Liverpool in their EFL Cup tie, but this was a fine response from Mignolet. As well as the free-kick save, the Belgian also got a hand out to stop Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s left-footed shot as United responded to going behind.
“As far as I’m concerned my goals for 2017 don’t change – it’s to fight be first choice in the Liverpool team and then to win the title,” said Mignolet in midweek. “My dream is to win the Premier League, no doubt about it, and we’ll work hard to make it happen. But also every player wants to progress and improve and I am no different. I would say I have a lot to do and a lot to achieve in this sport. So in 2017 I would like to improve as a player and keep more clean sheets.”
One swallow doesn’t make a summer, but Mignolet deserves respect for his response to being dropped by Klopp. Joe Hart shouldn’t expect a call just yet.
* After half-time, United were far stronger and pinned back Liverpool, as if Mourinho had given them a dressing-room dressing-down. “I have a problem with my neck because I was always looking to the left side,” was Mourinho’s typically candid take on United’s second-half dominance. Like United at Anfield, Jose?
Mourinho also chose to ignore the knock-on effect of that dominance, his side left prone to the counter-attack with players pushing on and leaving defenders exposed. Klopp chose to bring on Coutinho to maximise that potential, and it immediately paid dividends. For all United’s attacking, Liverpool actually had three times as many shots on target as United after the break, and attempted eight shots to United’s five.
United’s Plan B was also less than efficient, launching the ball long into the box in the hope that Ibrahimovic could climb highest. It’s hardly the worst strategy in the world, but failed to pay dividends. Rather than getting to the byline and crossing the ball back into the area, Antonio Valencia was particularly guilty of attempting crosses from 30 yards up the pitch. Not only is that not the percentage call, but also Liverpool’s preferred option. Ragnar Klavan and Lovren made 20 clearances between them; no two players managed more.
As proof of that tactic, there were 26 crosses from open play in the match. Valencia accounted for 38% of those.
* When United finally did get closer to goal to deliver the cross, the leveller came. Just as supporters were losing faith, up popped Ibrahimovic to rescue United again. His header was majestic, directed into the only place in the goal where Mignolet had no chance of stopping it and Alexander-Arnold had no chance of clearing it. Where oh where would they be without him?
It must also be pointed out that the goal should not have been awarded, with Valencia in an offside position when receiving the ball. Clearly offside, too. My general stance is to defend officials who are judged on footage that they don’t get to see, but the assistant referee really was at fault here. The hardest offsides to spot are the ones when the player is next to you, but the assistant’s positioning, five yards ahead of play, was woeful.
That goal should've counted. Valencia was clearly offside… pic.twitter.com/zCJ8gaA9DV
— LFCMostar (@LFCMostar) January 15, 2017
* United will be pleased with their late equaliser, but the real headline is that they again wasted their chances. Their downturn in form earlier this season coincided with a profligacy in front of goal, with Ibrahimovic the guiltiest party. While the striker has improved hugely in recent weeks, the same affliction in other players cost United on Sunday.
Here is where the current top six rank in the Premier League according to shot conversion (excluding blocked shots):
Chelsea – 2nd
Tottenham – 9th
Liverpool – 3rd
Arsenal – 1st
Manchester City – 5th
Manchester United – 16th
Here is where the current top six rank according to big chance conversion (defined by Opta as one that is reasonably expected to be scored):
Chelsea – 11th
Tottenham – 6th
Liverpool – 2nd
Arsenal – 12th
Manchester City – 4th
Manchester United – 20th
Sort out the finishing, and United really could challenge.
* On Friday, Daniel Sturridge spoke about his belief that he is the best striker at Liverpool.
“I believe I’m the best striker Liverpool has, that’s my opinion,” Sturridge told Sky Sports. “It hurts inside [not being selected] but it’s part of the game, every player past and present has dealt with the things I’m going through now. So it’s not time to get the violin out, you’ve got to dig in, fight, show your character, put your best foot forward when you’re put on a football pitch and give your all when you’re not on the pitch.”
Two days later, and Sturridge’s mood was again dented by his place on Liverpool’s bench. Clearly persuaded by Sturridge’s limp display against Southampton in midweek, Divock Origi was given the nod by Klopp.
The lack of an out-and-out striker is the biggest flaw in Liverpool’s squad. When Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho are fit a centre-forward is not required, those two instead flitting and flicking around Roberto Firmino to make a fluid front three. When one of those three is absent, and Sturridge introduced, Liverpool look like a pale imitation of their usual selves. Rather than a Plan B, Klopp simply has a worse version of his Plan A. In contrast to Arsenal with Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud, Sturridge doesn’t fit neatly into A and isn’t different enough for B.
Sturridge can talk of fighting for his place and displaying his character, which is the perfect response to setback, but it must be dawning on him that he’s unlikely to suddenly become Klopp’s first-choice striker. That spells havoc for his England career. It’s now two league starts since September 16, and 23 in the last 32 months. He wasn’t even called upon as a substitute at Old Trafford.
* I’m sorry, but we need to talk about Wayne Rooney and Martin Tyler. Rooney was introduced at half-time for the struggling Carrick, and was cheered by United supporters hoping to see a record-breaking goal.
That was as good as it got. Rooney drifted out wide, and failed to beat his man. Rooney dropped deep and did little more than slow down play. Rooney tried to pass the ball, but completed them with an accuracy of just 65%, a level that dropped to 60% when in Liverpool’s half.
You can’t doubt the desire, but Rooney’s body just can’t match up. He was a hindrance to United’s attempts to get back into the game, not a help. Oh, and he could easily have been sent off for an awful challenge on Milner.
And so to Tyler. I sympathise with a commentator who anticipates a historic moment approaching, but hearing “IS IT DESTINY?”, “IS IT MEANT TO BE?” or a variation five times in 45 minutes really grates after a while. As Mediawatch wrote this week, Rooney has almost become the story more than United themselves. When he’s playing as badly as he did against Liverpool, that’s really not appropriate.
* As the game came to a close, I pondered my Man of the Match and realised that it was an almost impossible decision. Such was the frantic nature of the game, littered with mistakes but also excitement, no player truly performed excellently.
Eventually I decided that Herrera would get the nod, not least for covering for the abysmal Pogba. Herrera is the easiest type of player to like, bags of energy and will to win, a dynamic midfielder in which you can see the cogs turning and pistons pumping. His shirt pull on Firmino was just another act of a glorious bastard, with just the right amount of snide to make him a cult hero.
* Finally, I really need someone to explain to me the benefit of Sky Sports branding matches with a special moniker rather than just the names of the two teams. Presumably the theory is that more people watch the game if it has a tagline, but that just makes me very sad indeed.
We’d had Red Monday, Mersey Monday and The Return, and Sunday brought us Merseyside vs Manchester. Fans of United and City could be seen skipping arm-in-arm down Deansgate on the morning of the game, putting aside their differences. In Liverpool, the same occurred; Everton fans filled Goodison with red as a show of support to Liverpool at Old Trafford later.
“You know I’ve always hated Citeh,” one United fan was heard to say. “But I’ve actually just realised today that whether you’re light blue or red, we’re all Manchester aren’t we?”
You might think that there were two Premier League games on Sunday, but you’d be wrong. You might think Manchester United took a point at Old Trafford, but you’d be wrong. The final score that matters is this: Merseyside 5-1 Manchester.
Daniel Storey
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