Neil Humphreys: Reds blow their chance
Liverpool get stage fright against injury-hit United
| MAN UNITED | LIVERPOOL |
| 0 | 0 |
Fate dealt Liverpool a winning hand at Old Trafford yesterday, but the Reds folded.
They froze in the moment. They handed the initiative back to Manchester City.
Their 0-0 draw at Manchester United ensured a return to the English Premier League summit, but no one is popping champagne corks on Merseyside.
The mood is decidedly flat.
Juergen Klopp’s men enjoyed every advantage, every unexpected twist in the narrative and were literally given every chance of winning at Old Trafford for the first time since 2014.
But they blew it.
The Reds now have a one-point advantage over City, but the momentum has undoubtedly returned to the Etihad.
United lost a player before kick-off, three more before half-time, but the visitors appear to have lost their knack for playing the final pass, for making their possession count, for playing like champions-in-waiting.
They’ll never get a better opportunity to win at Old Trafford again.
Whatever else happens in the coming days, questions must be asked of United’s medical practitioners. Four muscle injuries before half-time smacked of inadequate preparation, rather than dumb luck.
Before kick-off, Nemanja Matic was ruled out with an unspecified muscle injury, earning Scott McTominay a rare start.
Unfortunately, the indefatigable Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson took turns to bully the Scotsman, relieving him of the ball like schoolyard yobs stealing the smaller kids’ lunch money.
Ander Herrera was expected to support McTominay, but he went off clutching his thigh in the 21st minute. Juan Mata joined Herrera moments later, replaced by the unfit Jesse Lingard, who lasted a ridiculous 18 minutes before his hamstring gave way.
In Manchester, only massage parlours usually witness so many sweaty men clutching at body parts on a Sunday evening, and generally offer more entertainment than Old Trafford in the first half.
Former United and Liverpool striker Michael Owen, no stranger to stubborn muscle injuries, questioned the decision-making of Lingard to declare himself available when he clearly wasn’t match-fit, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might want to haul in his medical staff this morning.
The Red Devils turned into the Red Cross, with wounded men surrounded by panic-stricken doctors, and it’s hard to recall an opening half with more substitutions (four, Roberto Firmino went off as well) than shots on target (three).
FOOLISH OR FARCICAL
United’s planning was either foolish or farcical, but there was little football from the home side, which explained why the angrier manager stood in the away dugout.
Klopp gritted his teeth in frustration on so many occasions, he was at risk of needing a dentist.
United’s midfield was decimated. Liverpool dominated possession, but misplaced their final pass, a failing raised by their manager more than once in recent weeks.
The Reds galloped along their right flank, but Mohamed Salah was handled well and James Milner’s erratic crossing suggested he’d been blindfolded in the tunnel.
Klopp’s anguish was understandable because Liverpool’s obvious advantages had the opposite effect on their opponents, creating a raucous, siege mentality around Old Trafford.
Suddenly, it was the Theatre of Underdogs, with the natives demanding a Churchillian defiance that always goes down well in these volatile contests.
Liverpool were playing for a place at the EPL pinnacle. United were playing for pride against their oldest enemies. They had nothing to lose and both sides knew it.
United essentially withdrew to a 5-4-1, with the effervescent Paul Pogba taking it upon himself to close down any remaining gaps. The Frenchman was everywhere.
But the quality wasn’t, from either side. Despite the undeniable drama, the patchy spectacle was high on errors, but low on attacking pedigree.
Klopp brought on Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi in the closing stages, but neither player made a decisive impact.
United deserved their point though, perhaps even more. As for Liverpool, they must regain their self-belief quickly or they’ll end up losing more than just pride in Manchester.
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