Another False Dawn? United Need to Build on the Draw With Liverpool
For the first time since the opening week, Manchester United put in a performance that suggests that there is hope for the Solskjaer regime.
Jurgen Klopp’s usually jovial demeanour was nowhere to be found after watching his side rescue a point against Manchester United through Adam Lallana’s late tap-in. Gone was the toothy grin, as he grumbled about United’s defensive tactics and (more justifiably) the inconsistencies with VAR.
Never one to pass up the opportunity to kick an adversary while they’re down, Jose Mourinho, now a pundit on Sky Sports, pointed out that Klopp has never beaten United at Old Trafford, and that this has become a source of much consternation for the German coach.
As Klopp’s Liverpool have been on the rise, United have been in free fall, and coming into the game the general question floating around the stadium was not whether Liverpool would win, but rather how much would they win by. It’s a damning indictment of United’s season to date, but it is also an accurate reflection of the two teams’ respective fortunes.
Solskjaer’s tactical adjustment
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Solskjaer, embattled and beleaguered, with his hair greyer by the week, knew he had to pull a result out of the bag, and to his credit, the tactical adjustment he made worked. United lined up in a relatively unfamiliar 3-4-1-2, and when Axel Tuanzebe went down with an injury during the warmup, Solskjaer stuck to his guns and brought in Marcos Rojo.
The three centre-backs ensured that Liverpool’s front three of Roberto Firmino, Divock Origi and Sadio Mane were starved of time and space, while United’s fullbacks could push further up the field and challenge the advancing runs of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.
It was a system designed knowing that Liverpool would see more of the ball (they ended with 68% of the possession), with Scott McTominay and Fred buzzing about Firmino every time he dropped deep, frustrating and stunting Liverpool’s midfield.
The game played to United and Solskjaer’s strengths, with Daniel James and Marcus Rashford finding space behind the fullbacks to counter-attack, pulling Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip wider and opening up space in the middle of Liverpool’s defence.
Small lapses have cost United points
In the end, Liverpool made them pay for a solitary lapse in concentration and communication, as good teams often do, but United, for once, can feel buoyed by being ahead of the tactical curve and forcing their opponents to adapt.
There are still questions hanging over the side. How will they get the best out of Paul Pogba? Can they inject creativity into their play when the onus is on them to break down opposing teams?
Next. Ballon d’Or shortlist. dark
These are the problems that have plagued them throughout the season, and until they can be decisively answered by Solskjaer, this improved performance against Liverpool will run the risk of joining the wins against Chelsea and PSG as the latest in a long line of false dawns for Manchester United.