Manchester United 2 Liverpool 1 (Aug 22 2022)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

Well something is definitely not right. The first two games weren’t great but in isolation they could be explained away and it didn’t necessarily mean we had a major problem. This one though, fuck me. An absolute fucking shambles. Outworked, outfought and occasionally outplayed by the worst Manchester United side in living memory. 

 

The Sky narrative may have been on how improved and cohesive United looked, but they just did exactly the same thing Fulham did. Nothing special about their performance, this was all on us being absolutely fucking shit. 

 

They started faster than us and with much more intensity. Just like Fulham did. Then they sat in as we eventually settled and started keeping the ball a bit better. Just like Fulham. They were comfortable defending us, just like Fulham and they had joy picking us off on the break. You guessed it. Just like Fulham. They then shithoused and time wasted their way to a result. Just like Fulham. So let’s not make this out to be something its not. They won this game because we were fucking terrible.

 

I’m absolutely fucking steaming that we let this shower of shit beat us and gain some confidence after their embarrassing start to the season. We should have been piling on their misery, not giving them relief from it. They’re actually above us in the table now. I mean fucking hell. It’s only three games and I have no long term concerns about the team, but the short term is really looking bad and unless there’s a pretty big transformation we won’t be taking six points from the two home games we have coming up and if we don't then it's going to be an uphill slog.

 

This one really stings. Klopp said afterwards that we didn’t look ready for the start of the game. When was the last time we really did? We started quite well against Palace to be fair, but we’ve conceded first in seven league games on the bounce and we haven’t led at half time in any of the last fifteen games in all competitions. It might be thirteen actually, but either way it’s a really fucking alarming stat.

 

How can you not be ready for the start of this game? The world and its dog knew exactly what United were going to do. They couldn’t be passive because they’d just lost 4-0 at Brentford and they’ve been the butt of everyone’s jokes all week. They needed to get the crowd onside so they were always going to fly at us early. And we were like a rabbit caught in the headlights. It's inexplicable.

 

It’s not down to any specific individuals either. Other than Harvey and maybe Diaz, I thought everyone was fucking shocking early on. By the end of the game you could add Carvalho and maybe Mo to those two as players who didn’t disgrace themselves (Alisson as well, he made two great saves). Everyone else was varying degrees of terrible though.

 

Something isn’t right and for once I don’t think Klopp and the staff know what it is. If they did know they’d have fixed it already. We can’t score the first goal in games, we aren’t playing with any intensity and we seem to have reached a point where even dogshit teams like Fulham and United can come up with a plan to nullify us and then just wait for the easy chances that come their way.

 

It’s got to be a huge concern that we’re being kept at arm’s length by shit teams and that one pass in behind whenever we lose the ball is resulting on players running clear on goal. We aren’t even being helped out by offsides now. Last year we lived life on the edge with the high line knowing that most of the time we were catching teams narrowly offside with VAR and that Alisson saves at least half of the one v ones he faces. It was risk / reward and it paid off.

 

Alisson still does his thing but that’s Zaha and Rashford now who have both gotten in on the kind of marginal calls that would have been given offside under the old system. Now, with the extra tolerance level, we’ve had our fingers burned. Even allowing for that rule change though I still can’t see how Rashford is onside for that second goal but overall we were so fucking bad I can’t even get worked up about any possible injustice there.

 

The first goal is right up there with any of the worst we’ve conceded under Klopp. I don’t think I’ll ever get over what I saw from Van Dijk. It’s one of the most inexplicably shit things I’ve ever seen from a top player. I can’t explain it. Every time I look at it it gets worse. Milner was rightly fucking livid with him and let him know in no uncertain terms. 

 

 

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[Manny]

Fernandes is one of the biggest cunts I've ever seen play the game - how he wasn't sent off after the goal is beyond me, there's delaying the quick kick off and then just full on unsporting behaviour and he's clearly doing the latter. He's been anonymous basically since crowds came back but suddenly they're playing well and a goal up and he's running around reffing the game and acting the cunt. Martial too, all flicks and backheels and oles when they're winning but disappears when they're losing.

 

They're stuck with unreliable cunts like that and I'm glad of it and not complaining, but fuck me it hurts to give those dogs a day in the fucking sun.

 

Actually on the subject of Virgil - perhaps more than the pathetic defending for the first goal, what annoyed me was after Fernandes was booked for that shitty dive. As he stood up Virgil gave him a pat as if to say "no hard feelings" - we're 2-0 down in a game against them and he's just dived; he should be screaming in his face that he's a cheat and pointing out to the referee that he's another one of their cheats that he needs to be getting a grip on, not fucking patting him.

 

Gotta spend the next two weeks on holiday with my manc in-laws as well, fuck sake. They were bad enough after the fucking friendly.

[dockers_strike]

Good report Dave and I share your anger (who doesnt?).

 

Oliver wasa shithouse. Fernandez should have been carded before he actually got one. The one he got should have been his 2nd. Unbelievable he didnt get another over Mo's goal and his actions.

 

I disagree about Alli. I thought he sold himself on Sancho's goal. No way a top keeper should be going to ground on that pull back. Even if Sancho didnt do a pull back, Alli's on the deck because sancho wouldnt have hit it first time.

 

I was also screaming at the tv when Harvey played the ball back to him in the 1st half with 2 united players closing him down in the corner. What does Alli do? Plays it straight back to him. The fuck, get it down the middle of the pitch. Yes, he did make a couple of good saves but they werent ones you though no one else wouldnt have made.

 

Trent seems to think he has to play the Hollywood ball every time. Yet again either smashing the ball into the oppo in front of him or leathering it 100 mph across the box. Give yer head a wobble, lad.

 

I hope Mo's mega contract hasnt spread dissatisfaction through the squad? Surely not? But the fact he's never in the top 4 for team captain seems very strange.

[fredo49]

Can't disagree with any of that Dave. We should be murdering those wasters and the performance was painfully inadequate to do so.

 

Fingers crossed for Saturday then....

[bigal]

Not going to disagree with anything, I'd give them a little credit for getting stuck in and doing to us what we should be doing to them, bullying them, wanting it more.

As an old timer I recall Paisley getting the best from players and then moving them on. This team has been too much the same for a season at least. Firmino and Milner, many thanks for all you did but no extra year on the contract, move on. Ancelotti said we are predictable and he's got a point, we need to refresh things regularly. 

Two years ago we could see the CB problem and we ended up losing a season, this year we have a similar situation with the midfield. Loyalty to players is great but standing still means we lose.

[Ipplfc]

Good report that,I fear there maybe a hangover from last season,the way we lost the league and then the final,I hope the players haven’t just been worn down by it all 

[dave u]

I'd be surprised if its a hangover because of the way we've always bounced back from setbacks before. I guess there always comes a bridge too far and one setback when you just don't have enough fight left to come back from it, but I don't think we're there. I hope not anyway.

 

There's just a lot of things not working the way they should be and the players seem to be aware of that now and are losing confidence. We need a big win quickly.

[Bobby Hundreds]

1 minute ago, dave u said:

I'd be surprised if its a hangover because of the way we've always bounced back from setbacks before. I guess there always comes a bridge too far and one setback when you just don't have enough fight left to come back from it, but I don't think we're there. I hope not anyway.

 

There's just a lot of things not working the way they should be and the players seem to be aware of that now and are losing confidence. We need a big win quickly.

What about them just giving up though. They seem resigned to the fact things aren't going their way. Starting slowly too how can this team with the odds its faced the last 7 years be shell-shocked by Fulham or United. Is it just a case these tweaks and changes we've brought in means none of them have a clue what's going on because it looks that way, we look like we have no idea how to get at the opposition and how to react when we lose the ball, so we get it and safely play it round in the usual patterns until Trent just thinks fuck it I think I've just seen an interdimensional portal open up in the area I reckon i could hit it.

[Nolongerathletic]

Cant argue with much of that, good write up.

 

First 30-40 seconds of 2nd half I think Fernandez gave the ball away 3 if not 4 times...each time in a dangerous position and we proceeded to hand it back in a whimper...regardless of performances, average passing would have opened them up but it was way beyond that..dreadful football.

 

The idea that United will go from strength to strength is laughable...how any of the previous stooges didn't think of dropping Maguire is beyond me...that was a pathetic effort, VVD number one candidate...will they learn from it, next two games will deffo tell a lot I guess.

[index1000]

Remember that Scottish Fullback we had used to bomb down the wing and put amazing crosses in?

I miss him.

[aws]

2 minutes ago, index1000 said:

Remember that Scottish Fullback we had used to bomb down the wing and put amazing crosses in?

I miss him.

The one who used to get to the bye-line ten times a game? 

[index1000]

20 minutes ago, aws said:

The one who used to get to the bye-line ten times a game? 

That's him mate do  you remember him as well

[lebron]

We were undoubtedly very bad in the opening 30 mins.. I do wonder if the new refereeing norm has come as a surprise to us though. The start of this and the Fulham game was a throwback to how football was played and reffed in the 80’s. The difference being the underdog feigning injury and diving/screaming whenever they are on the receiving end of a tackle themselves. If that had been United in the 90’s on the receiving end of some of the tackle/shoves our players got, Ferguson would have spent 30 mins post match bollocking the refs for not protecting the attacking players. You could see Klopp being pissed off about it again too, but he’s viewed as a moaner now because of the 5sub thing, so it probably won’t help much if he protests.

 

I thought Oliver played to the crowd all night if I’m honest. I know our players are supposed to take the blame, but trying to play football in yesterday’s climate was near impossible. Klopp and co need to come up with a solution to this though, as all teams will come steaming at us away from Anfield if the refs keep letting them get away with it. 

[stringvest]

42 minutes ago, index1000 said:

That's him mate do  you remember him as well

1.  He hasn't got Mane to make space for him.

2.  Everyone knows he's one footed so they just manage him until he makes a backwards pass.

3.  He's not as good as Tsimikas.

[King Kenny 86]

Agree every word.

We suddenly can't score, not a real suprise when you lose 25 a season in Mane. Therefore vital you defend well and aggressive 

Also the Ten Haag love in. As you say he was Fulham and Palace tactics and the neanderthals lapped it up

He will do the same v Citeh, ie fuck his tip tap principles for that game.

Watch them fuck up v the rest of the league trying to play from the back.

I also see what klopp meant about them coming off a 5.0 win as then Slab head Fat Shaw and Prinaldo would have started and then.....

But we were shite 

[Red74]

2 hours ago, aws said:

The one who used to get to the bye-line ten times a game? 

The one who has no-one to aim for in the box and has now got an absolute coward of a number 9 hiding on the halfway line behind him doing everything he can to avoid putting himself in between the centre halves and be a threat. 

[dave u]

The one who has played over 100 games in the last two years without hardly any time off in the summers and seems to be suffering because of it?

[lebron]

14 minutes ago, dave u said:

The one who has played over 100 games in the last two years without hardly any time off in the summers and seems to be suffering because of it?

That's the most baffling of Klopp's selection choices over the last year. I don't think there's a better back-up in any position in the PL (apart from our CBs!), yet Klopp chooses to over-use Robbo to the extent he has.

[Red74]

48 minutes ago, Red74 said:

The one who has no-one to aim for in the box and has now got an absolute coward of a number 9 hiding on the halfway line behind him doing everything he can to avoid putting himself in between the centre halves and be a threat. 

Lebron, I knew you’d come scurrying along to

neg this. It’s like a dog whistle now when I pull your little fraud up. 

[moin k]

I think the previous long season and the short pre-season has caught up with the players. We should have got Wijnaldum back on loan (although he has now had a major injury at Roma) and tried to move Keita on to one of the RB clubs. I think this season is going to be like 20-21 when it was a real slog and we just about got into the top 4 (although we ended up finishing third on the last day of the season). The 4 weeks break for the World Cup might help to give some of our players a rest. But I do not think that we will be challenging for the title this season.

[coachpotato]

Agree with the assessment of last nights game completely, little or no argument to what was evident to us all.
In seasons gone by, you could expect to see a few strange results at the start of the season as teams ramped up fitness, integrated new players and got to grips with new teams in the league. 
Problem now is that you can’t afford hardly any slips if you have designs on winning the league with city around and likely to get 90+ points again.

We know that more than anyone else, having been so close in recent years and having won the league only once and having city win it 4 times in the last 5 years.
So my theory, for what it’s worth, is that the players are so fed up after last season and the way the big two went, that some now don’t appear to have the hunger needed to keep up the fight needed to try and keep up with city yet again.

It doesn’t help when they see seemingly every other team spending vast amounts to mount  a challenge, or in some cases to just keep up, and see city buy Haaland as well, while we do the bare minimum in terms of recruitment.

Then there’s the way teams play against us, and the apparent evidence that teams have learned how to soak up our pressure and hit us, successfully, on the break.

The players must wonder how to counteract this happening without us seemingly changing our way of playing.

Injuries never help of course, but the three teams we’ve failed against so far were all beatable with what we had available. Or should have been.

Time to panic then?
Maybe not yet, although the trend obviously cannot continue as at present. 
I would hope that at the very least, the results would have sent alarm bells across the Atlantic and that pertinent questions might have been asked if all is well. 
We’ll likely never be privy to any such conversations if indeed they happen, yet surely the owners realise that success on the pitch is a prerequisite to them making money on their investment, so if the questions are asked, and if the answer is we require further investment in the playing squad, then they should stump up what is required or that shiny new stand above the Anny Road might be underused by the time it is built.

We can’t fall too far behind as every other team in this league has strengthened in the last couple of seasons, the extra TV money etc., meaning they have all been able to buy better players, even if some of them haven’t used the money that well.

To finish, I saw Klopp being interviewed last night and for the first time he looked a bit crestfallen to me, he’s looked pissed in the past, angry in the past but never crestfallen.

If he’s not got the answers needed, then this is going to be a long season.

[dave u]

2 hours ago, lebron said:

That's the most baffling of Klopp's selection choices over the last year. I don't think there's a better back-up in any position in the PL (apart from our CBs!), yet Klopp chooses to over-use Robbo to the extent he has.

 

I think timing has played a part too though. The covid season when we had no centre backs, Klopp didn't want to unsettle things further by throwing Kostas in. Last year he did get a decent number of games (probably could have been more) and I do wonder if he'd have started any of these three had he been fully fit. Robbo has been subbed for him in two of those games, which suggests a start might be coming at the weekend (or the game after) for Kostas.

[Daisy]

13 hours ago, stringvest said:

1.  He hasn't got Mane to make space for him.

2.  Everyone knows he's one footed so they just manage him until he makes a backwards pass.

3.  He's not as good as Tsimikas.

You saw Kostas the other night? 

[Supremolad]

I wasn't surprised by what Van Dijk did. There have been numerous examples of him not being aggressive in closing down immediate threat. He was doing this kind of thing before his ACL injury, so we cant really use the injury as an excuse for his "cautious defending". 

 

Good to see Carragher highlight it and the recent examples including the non-defending van Dijk did in the lead up to Madrid's goal in the final. We need him to cut that shit out. I believe Milner would be telling him off in the dressing room much more strongly about that Utd goal.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Agreed with most of that, apart from...

 

"When everyone is fit our midfield options are really good."

 

When everyone is fit our midfield options are all still slow as fuck, creatively barron, porous, old and unreliable.

 

Major, major heart surgery is required.