Bore Draw At Anfield
I said that last night's game was a must-win for Man United. Apparently Jose Mourinho disagreed, because he saw it as a cannot-afford-to-lose. I'm going to pick apart this decision in a minute, mostly because I think it's a bizarre move from Mourinho that says as much about how much money United have wasted as it does about his own negative tactics.
In any case, United went into this game looking to play for the 0-0 and they got it. Whether Liverpool played nowhere near their best because United's tactic worked or whether United's tactic worked because Liverpool played nowhere their best is a point for debate, but largely irrelevant. Shorn of two of their midfield trio in Adam Lallana and Gini Wijnaldum, Liverpool looked short of energy and creativity in midfield, Firmino was wasted out on the left, Emre Can looked off the pace and, worse still, he made the team look unbalanced, as he attempted to play the role that Jordan Henderson has been performing superbly (and once again Henderson was faultless last night) from further up the pitch.
But despite that, and when Lallana came on the point was exaggerated, Liverpool were the better team. United did a good job of killing the game, but nevertheless created nothing themselves, one good ball in from Pogba dreadfully finished by Ibrahimovic the sum total of their attacking threat. At the other end, Firmino had a good aerial chance and headed straight at De Gea, Can wriggled through a few challenges to test the United goalkeeper and then De Gea proved why he's United's best player with an out of this world save to deny Coutinho, who went for a trademark Coutinho 30 yarder and, to be fair, was barely an inch off the top corner. Against Hull, Arsenal, and to be honest against any other goalkeeper in the league, that was a goal. Moreover, Valencia was forced into a brilliant last ditch tackle to deny Firmino as Liverpool knocked on the door towards full time.
So far from a vintage performance from either side. United will feel happier, because their tactic worked, albeit their tactic was to get everyone except Ibrahimovic behind the ball and make it impossible for Liverpool to play. Earlier this season we discussed the possibility that Liverpool would have to find ways to break down some of the smaller teams that went to Anfield and parked the bus. This just wasn't supposed to be one of those games.
And if calling United a smaller team seems slightly childish, well that just exaggerates the point that I'm trying to make. Jose Mourinho considers it a victory for his tactics that he came to Anfield and was able to hold out for a point. Can you imagine if Sir Alex's United came to Anfield, with the most expensive Premier League squad ever assembled, sitting in 7th place in the league. held on for a point and were happy about it? Moreover, can you imagine that three or four years ago, we'd have picked up a point against United and been slightly annoyed that we didn't just smash them off the park?
My point is just that it's hard for United fans to make the argument that they're a bigger and better team than Liverpool right now when their own manager practically admitted that United couldn't beat Liverpool with his team selection and tactics. Six man back line, hoof it up to Ibrahimovic, hit repeat. That's not to say that United didn't play well or that their tactic didn't work: De Gea in particular was exceptional, but Ander Herrera (deservedly man of the match) and Fellaini deserve credit in midfield and they were as defensively solid as you'd expect: Young and Rashford were tracking back excellently. The fact that we're sat here saying Marcus Rashford had a great game despite spending almost all of the second half in his own third says it all really.
And to be honest, I'm not even bitter or frustrated about this. I'm pleasantly surprised. Yes, I really wanted to beat United, but as I said yesterday before the game started: a draw suits us far more than it suits them. Yes, United are happier with a draw, and yes a point away from home at Anfield is a good result, but nevertheless, in their current position it was not what they needed.
Mourinho's tactic of playing for a draw in big games away from home is predicated on two main ideas. One is that his side will win more games against the smaller teams. At the moment that isn't happening (evidence in a moment). The other is they come out neutral to the other big sides in the big games. Again, that isn't happening. The big point that Mourinho seems to have missed is that it isn't just Liverpool and Man United in the title race at the moment (indeed you could make arguments that neither of them are in the top three title contenders). And whilst United didn't lose ground on Liverpool this weekend, they did lose ground on Arsenal and Chelsea, and remain off the pace from Spurs and City. Mourinho's side are two points behind Chelsea, three behind Liverpool, four behind Spurs and five points behind City and Arsenal. To be five points off the pace inside eight games is really not good for a team that are supposed to be challenging for the title.
So the evidence then. First the "smaller" teams. Now since the start of the season, everyone except Liverpool has played two games against the so-called big six clubs, plus Man City and Spurs have played Everton. So Chelsea, United and Arsenal have played six games against the so-called smaller clubs, Spurs and City have played five and Liverpool four. Now in those games, Man City have dropped zero points, Arsenal Chelsea and Spurs have all dropped two points, Liverpool have dropped three points and United have dropped five points. So of all the top six teams, United have dropped the most points against the teams that they should be expecting to beat, which means that surely they should be making those points up against the big teams? Well no, although they're not doing the worst.
So as mentioned, all of the "big six" clubs have played each other twice, except Liverpool who have racked up four games already, and have had easily the hardest run in so far. Let's look at their success in reverse order. So the team that's done worst is Chelsea, who lost both games to Liverpool and Arsenal. Then it's United, with one point from two games. Then Arsenal and City, who have both won one and lost one. Then Spurs and Liverpool. Spurs have won one drawn one, which works out on average the same as Liverpool, who have won two drawn two. So not only do United have the worst record of any of the big clubs against smaller teams, but they also have the second worst record against big teams.
Again, this is early days, and Mourinho would argue that a sample size of eight games is nowhere big enough to draw any real conclusions, and he's not wrong. He could also argue that he's only had his squad for a few months and still has a lot of work to do on it, an argument that loses some of its traction when you consider the money pumped into it, but definitely not all of its traction. As I said at the start of the season, it'll take time for Conte and Jose to bed in their sides.
But the fact remains that Liverpool have now played four of their five big opposition (again no offence to Everton who sit 6th, ahead of United) and have not lost a game yet. And they're frustrated because they didn't win all four. Whilst Jose is sitting 7th and happy to have taken a point at Anfield.
My point is this. I have nothing against Jose's tactics. I think it's childish and churlish to say that one way of winning games or winning leagues is better than another, especially when Jose is as a title winner as anyone is. But, you can only hail tactics when you're winning. And right now, United aren't winning. They didn't win this game, any more than Liverpool did. Whilst they got what they set out for, what they set out for isn't good enough. Playing for a draw away from home in big games is a great tactic when you're leading the pack, but when you're behind and already chasing, it doesn't quite cut it.
United have a big few weeks coming up, as they play both Arsenal and Chelsea in their next four league games, and failure to win either of those games will mean that Liverpool will have picked up at least five points on them in big games. So it's time for United to start winning big games, or they could be facing a very big uphill battle to win the title. Drawing this game means that they cannot afford to go to Stamford Bridge and take a point. That game should be very tasty indeed.
But the final word has to go to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, who as I mentioned, have now picked up eight points from four extremely tricky fixtures, three of them away from home, and have also beaten the Champions at Anfield. 17 points from 24 with easily the hardest fixtures of any of the top teams represents a very good tally from Klopp's boys and they remain very much in the hunt for top four football or better.
The Hard and Fast Section
- Faletau picked for Autumn Internationals.
- Dan Carter cleared of doping charges.
- Cook links up with England squad. Preview tomorrow.
- Leicester and Spurs in Champions League action tonight.
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