Manchester United Fail First Real Test

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Maybe Jose Mourinho went into todays game with Liverpool looking for a draw. Maybe he’s happy with the result. One thing’s for sure though, as Manchester United’s fans look across at what has happened at the Etihad today, they won’t be feeling too pleased with a 0-0 draw away at Anfield.

 

 

United went in to this game joint top having scored an average of three goals a game. Liverpool in contrast were down in seventh having conceded twelve goals in seven games. Manchester United should have been looking at this game as an opportunity to put Liverpool to the sword while they were at a low point.

 

Taking three points from Anfield today would have put paid to all of those comment saying, “well they haven’t played anyone decent yet”, instead, they played for a draw, looked second best throughout and when you look at City’s 7-2 victory over Stoke, suddenly they don’t look title challengers at all.

 

Jose Mourinho will probably say that a draw against Liverpool is always a good result, but this was a glorious opportunity for the Red Devils make a statement. For Mourinho and his team to stand up and say that they are back and gunning for the top prize. Maybe City will struggle when they visit Anfield but probably not, they took their chance when they faced Klopp’s underperforming side back in September by thumping them 5-0 at the Etihad.

 

Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and we might as well include Zlatan Ibrahimovic were all absent through injury today but the Reds should still have had enough going forward to hurt this Liverpool team, instead they were lucky that Klopp’s team still don’t have a striker they can rely on.

 

The problem isn’t personnel, this is a squad that is packed with quality players. The problem was pragmatism. United fans knew what they were going to get when Jose Mourinho took over at Old Trafford but today’s result was the perfect example of everything they feared.

 

Their next big test comes at the end of the month when they host Tottenham Hotspurs. Liverpool failed to take their chances today but if United don’t find the will to take the game to Mauricio Pochettino’s men then there’s every chance that Kane and Co. will punish their pragmatic approach.

 


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