Manchester United 0 Liverpool 0 (Feb 24 2019)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

Considering how much I’ve been dreading this fixture for months I’d have definitely taken the draw beforehand. Even now, despite all that went down on the day, I’m not despondent about the result. We needed to avoid defeat to go back to the top of the table and we did it, so I’m good with that.

 

The performance though, that’s something else entirely. Results don’t always tell the story of a game. This one did. Two teams who did absolutely fuck all in attack and would not have scored if they played until May.

 

There are different ways to draw a game and some are more palatable than others. A draw in which the two teams had gone at each other hammer and tong and had to settle for a share of the spoils is easy to feel good about. The “Great game for the neutral” draw.

 

There’s also the draw in which you batter the opponent but just can’t score because of bad luck or the keeper having a worldie. That’s frustrating as hell but still provides reason to feel encouraged. The “We’ll get ‘em next time” draw.

 

Then there’s the draw when you get your arse handed to you and somehow escape with a point. You look at that as a point gained, stolen even. The “Great Escape” draw.

 

This though? Klopp summed it up perfectly when he greeted the Goblin at full time and said “fucking hell, what a shit game”. It really was. For us especially. Not so much for United, the plucky underdog looking to throw a spanner in the works of our title challenge. 

 

They’ll see this as a good day, and to an extent it was. They had a lot to overcome on the day, yet David De Sea probably hasn’t had an easier game all season. That’s really disappointing from our perspective.

 

That being said, it is Old Trafford and given the amount of times we’ve gone there and suffered all manner of misery, coming away having gone top of the league has to go down as one of our best ever trips there, despite the utterly woeful play in attack.

 

 

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[Daisy]

The attack has been found out pure and simple. Its so predictable now. 

 

It's been proven time and again to have sustained success you need to have genuine width. 

 

Inverted wide forwards do not work. 

 

If Firmino is injured I would put Salah central and move Mane to the right to have at least one natural player that go can on the outside of the full back.

Then play either Keita or Shaqiri on the left. 

 

It won't happen though,will be Sturridge or Origi. 

[suzy]

Sums up my feelings perfectly that report.

[sir roger]

Good summation Dave.

 

Anybody heard a reasonable reason why Clyne was let go without being replaced in a Jan transfer window when we were top of the league, leaving us with Milner lining up against the likes of Rashford ?

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Time for a Ronnie Rosenthal to emerge and score 10 goals in the run in.

 

[El Rojo]

9 hours ago, sir roger said:

Good summation Dave.

 

Anybody heard a reasonable reason why Clyne was let go without being replaced in a Jan transfer window when we were top of the league, leaving us with Milner lining up against the likes of Rashford ?

I agree that the Clyne move was stupid, but in hindsight not bringing in a back-up striker after selling Ings and Solanke while keeping an effectively retired Sturridge has probably been costlier.

[sir roger]

18 hours ago, El Rojo said:

I agree that the Clyne move was stupid, but in hindsight not bringing in a back-up striker after selling Ings and Solanke while keeping an effectively retired Sturridge has probably been costlier.

I agree ER , I wonder whether Fekir was meant to be the guy to cover mids/attack & once the medical concerns occurred we used the funds for Alisson & got Shaq as a cut price alternative.

 

Whether or not , I would always use Origi / Shaqiri before Sturridge.

[Reacher]

On 2/27/2019 at 4:58 AM, sir roger said:

 

Whether or not , I would always use Origi / Shaqiri before Sturridge.

 

Origi proved last night why he should be picked before Sturridge, he tracked back and pressed well. He might not have the talent of a 100% fit Danny but maybe in a few years he might be a player that suits Klopp's system better.