The Manchester United 0-5 Liverpool Emergency Mailbox

Well, bloody hell. Any more thoughts, and we suspect there will be more, to theeditor@football365.com please.

Liverpool let United off
The most important thing is that 5-0 was a let off. We completely relaxed after 60 minutes. Klopp must’ve felt it was more important to preserve energy for a big game at Preston on Wednesday. The fact that Man Utd team cost more to accumulate than the Liverpool team highlights how hilariously far from challenging for serious honours that side is. On balance only Fernandes is good enough to play for Liverpool or Man City. The rest of the team either isn’t good enough or doesn’t fit the system. Maguire alone cost more than 3 of our back 4.

That was more like it from Naby. Awful to see him come off injured after such a dominant performance. He was kicked all over the pitch and it showed today that Man Utd were hoping to bridge the class divide with aggression. That was the most bookings any team has received in a single game all season. Pathetic really as that was the only discernible tactical plan that showed over 90 minutes.

Last week when people said Mo was the best player in the world I thought it might’ve been a stretch but a first opposition hat trick at old Trafford since original Ronaldo has me wondering if it’s true. As good as he was though the Henderson assist was pure filthy and Keita put one on a plate for him. The team around him is utter class.

I would love to tell you how tactically brilliant Liverpool were today but we weren’t. We sliced right through the middle with ease because Man Utd are so disorganised and apparently your best midfield, having spent £1bn since Fergie left, involves Fred and McTominay. I actually can’t believe anyone thought they would challenge for the league this season because they signed Ronaldo. A lot of these players are lucky because their reputations would be fully tarnished as OGS will foot the blame but today showed zero leadership or fight and that isn’t something any coach can instill.

My favourite thing is that my Man Utd supporting friends were acting so nonchalant about getting their pants pulled down. They went into the game with little chance and very quickly had no hope. All of them were so far up OGS’s backside so recently and couldn’t understand why every other team loves that he’s in charge.

I am firmly Ole In though. He’s going to be more than your Souness. Liverpool had poor owners in the 90s who simply failed to see the future and move with the times. Man Utd currently have awful owners who are only interested in getting rich, a manager with no clue and players who are overpaid and not good enough. What a delicious mix for another decade of obscurity. 29 years can go by awfully quickly lads…
Minty, LFC

Stick a fork in it
Well that was a completely depressing watch. I wrote in after the Leicester game saying we should be changing something to make us harder to beat, going 5 at the back, but Ole stuck to the same losing formula, even after the first half defensive performance against Atalanta, which is unforgivable. Playing two DMs, yet we look completely open every attack.

Fair play to Liverpool, took full advantage of our poor work off the ball, but in truth any team would have scored a few against us again today. What an absolute shambles, worst performance under Ole and it’s hard to see any way he can turn this around.

No more excuses, a result like this after the bad one at Leicester might have been forgivable before this season but the manager and staff have had enough time, money and support to make a result like this a knell. Thanks for getting us to this point Ole; the squad has strength and depth and you took us close to a cup but looks like you cannot smash through the glass ceiling as we’d hoped. Stick a fork in it and put things in motion to get Ten Hag from Ajax at the end of the season if he’ll take the job.
Garey Vance, MUFC

Wrongaldo more like
It’s half time in the United-Liverpool game and Liverpool are showing that having good players AND a strategy can destroy a team of very good players with no strategy.

So naive.

When United bought Ronaldo, I along with many others, said it would disrupt a team that relied on individuals, pace and a counter attack. That Fernandes, who single handedly had been the driving force for United would be eclipsed and have to take a backseat to Ronaldo. And a team with Ronaldo, Fernandes, Greenwood and Rashford/Martial just won’t put the effort in to track back and help out.

A couple of weeks back we saw Salah track back many times to help his defence out. If a player of his level can do it…

Anyway, it has definitely reduced the league to effectively 3 teams now – and United will be lucky to get a European place at this point.

With Spurs, City and Chelsea to come in the next 4 league games, things aren’t looking great.
Paul McDevitt

United: Not as good as they think they are
I was going to direct this squarely towards Maguire and Shaw but as the game progresses, currently at Pogbas reckless tackle and deserved red card, it is clearly relevant and appropriate to all of the Man Utd players.

To paraphrase, if you bought this team at my valuation and sold them at theirs, you would realise a healthy profit in the process.

As many not blinded by the fact that he plays for England are aware of, Maguire is definitely not as good as he thinks he is and Pogba once again showed his true character and how he wasn’t up for the fight. Got himself sent for an early bath so he didn’t have to play against and be schooled by a far superior side. His ego couldn’t handle it.
Eoin (Ferguson looked a bulldog licking p*ss off a nettle) Ireland

Scholes nails it
It’s halftime and united are 4-0 down

Exactly as Scholes said they would be. For exactly the reasons he said they would be. As a Liverpool fan I’m enjoying the game.

Ronaldo should have been given a red for violent conduct. First he kicked Jones in the stomach in frustration like a petulent baby then when Jones went down he booted him again. Very very lucky for me, and any united fan disagreeing would be expecting a red had van dijk done that to Ronny. He’s lucky and I can’t help think that if the game was 0-0 he would have been off, because united were already getting tanked I think the ref was more lenient.

We all know Ronny likes to win but that kind of behaviour is not acceptable, all it does is demonstrate he’s not the model professional he tried to portray himself as. He’s just a sore loser who doesn’t show the same level of respect he demands from everyone else

I’d honestly recommend everyone go back and watch Scholes interview (Just take care googling ‘Scholes video’ – Ed) after the Atalanta game it’s scary just how accurate he was not just with the result but how it happened. Guess Rio will have to shut his trap next time.

What a game!!!
Lee

Five Conclusions
1. I have seen better defending  and team play from lower league teams. That was just, wow. Are the players even talking to each other? Do they even have a game plan?
2. By the 3rd goal, I really felt sorry for their fans. It was like watching an older bully rampaging through a kiddie playground.
3. Then seeing Ronaldo petulantly kick at Curtis Jones, it all changed. They deserved all that was coming next.
4. If FSG happens to read this, please, pay Salah whatever he wants. His very name and presence is enough to tremble opposing defences by now.
5. That Pogba red was well and truly deserved. In fact, he got off lightly. That should be a few games ban at least. It was 2-footed, it was high, it was at full flight and it was nowhere near the ball. Sure, no “intention” but anyone who says it not dangerous, they’re welcome to have a go standing still while I emulate that move. I have been at the receiving of lesser tackles and they are just as career-ending without the “intention”.
DJ, Singapore

One Conclusion
Other than the 5 goals, the red-card, and a basic ability to play football, there was really nothing to choose between these two teams.
Pete Warner, fan of gallows humour.

Ole = Keegan
It’s always been the case that Ole is more on the emotional than technical side as a manager. However there have been so many good wins, against good teams and managers, that it bore consideration that there was more there…. but actually, is Ole perhaps more similar to Keegan than Manchester United fans would care to admit?

(a direct comparison, considering the nature of football and the league opposition at the time, is another discussion altogether)
Andy Davidson MUFC (sent at end of first half, so we’ll see if second half events deter or strengthen this argument!)

PS. Ok a few minutes later and now actually 4 at halftime.

It seems to me that the Ole thing to do – utterly in keeping with what he has been for United so far (and what he says he wants to be) – would be for him to actually resign. It doesn’t really happen nowadays (? – “mutual consent”, ok then). But him actually saying he should leave so someone else can take us further would be fitting class. The question is whether he has come so far that he can actually bring himself to.

Really flipping funny
63 minutes in. 5-0. What a performance from Liverpool. Hopefully Keita isn’t too badly hurt and recovers swiftly. The football aside though, has anyone else found this game really flipping funny!?

Disallowed goal for the returned hero, red card for Pogba minutes after coming on and a farcical defensive performance. The only thing of note we’ve seen from Fred was almost kicking Keita in the face. This is SURELY curtains for Ole. Probably not though. Half a billion quid to get milled at home but he gets the club and DNA and whatnot so it’s fine.

Hilarious.
Alan.

Take one for the team, Ole. Again
I’m a big fan of Ole, lovely man, wonderful player and he’s done a great job to stabilise the club, bring in the right players and bring good football and a positive energy back to the squad.

He’s deserved a solid chance this season to follow up his season on season improvement. And we are missing a vital player in a dedicated CDM. But…

…it’s half time, and unfortunately no manager can stay after this kind of performance and result. Who knows, maybe he’ll turn it around by the end of the match but I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s unlikely and take the chance of looking stupid.

Sorry Ole, it’s really time to go. Think of it like taking that red card for the team you did against Newcastle. Do it for the team, and go while there’s still love, and before this season turns into a unrecoverable mess.
Badwolf

FFS, Liverpool
I have to say, I am pretty upset with Liverpool. I thought City, Chelsea, and Liverpool all had an agreement to not embarrass Man U so that they won’t have to fire Ole. Now they may actually be forced into hiring someone who is actually a competent manager.
Ryan, MCFC

Super Ted
Man U need a change.

Ted Lasso is the obvious choice, he’s done a great job at Richmond, would make all the players feel good, and is a definite upgrade tactically on who they have now.
Paul, Chicago

Toon Army
After that embarrassing performance I’d like to remind you all that there is ONLY ONE UNITED.

Newcastle.

Best regards
Joe

Hiding out
It’s 4-0 to Liverpool at half time. They’re passing it around like a preseason friendly and barely out of second gear. If I was a united fan I’d be hiding for the rest of the year.

It’s quite amazing how much difference you can see watching a team that’s well managed and coached versus a team that isn’t. The issues are more apparent when they are playing each other.
Culk the Younger

Spursy
Thank you Ole from forcing the conversation away from how absolutely abject Spurs were (again!) in a London derby.

I would have made Nuno find his own way home.
Eric Breitman, Spurs, NYC.