Analysis: Liverpool 1 Manchester United 2

Premier League, Sunday 23^rd September 2012

This visit to Anfield came amid the drama surrounding recent truths about Hillsborough, and therefore tributes to the Hillsborough victims preceded the match. United, with acts of respect from Ryan Giggs and Sir Bobby Charlton, played their part in remembering those who died at Hillsborough. The team from Manchester however struggled to play any significant part for the majority of this match. It took a red card for Liverpool to give Sir Alex’s men any kind of foothold, and only then did they labour to a win as Rafael's stunner and a Robin van Persie penalty overturned Gerrard’s goal for Liverpool. Here’s the analysis:

Encouraging defensive signs

Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans reignited their successful defensive pairing from last year for the first time this season against Liverpool, and were for the most part superb. Ferdinand marshalled the defence commandingly, and snuffed out several Liverpool chances. Evans partnered him with vigour, and looked sharper than Vidic has done in recent matches; perhaps the Serbian will face a battle to regain his place in the team. Rafael on the right-side also had his best game this season as he prevented Borini from causing any significant trouble down his flank, whilst also getting forward to great effect in scoring his goal. It must be noted however that Patrice Evra on the left was once again patchy in his performance, and had Raheem Sterling been better in his decision-making, United may have paid the price. There is cause to celebrate a good defensive display, but again there are warning signs over Evra’s performances.

Ineffective game-plan

United’s game-plan was to attack Liverpool directly on the counter-attack, something that this diagram demonstrates. These tactics however proved highly unsuccessful. United’s directness bypassed Kagawa completely and left van Persie completely isolated up front. The ball barely reached the wingers, and when it did Nani’s decision-making was atrocious, whilst Valencia was also relatively poor. Everything about the first-half game-plan went wrong and the visitors only improved at half-time as Scholes came on and helped take advantage of the extra-man, but even with that helping hand United remained unconvincing. The individual displays from United’s attacking men simply did not match the high work-rate of the Liverpool players, but the game-plan was also ineffective in this formation. To successfully implement a direct counter-attacking game then United need to spread the play better and get Kagawa involved more; this simply did not happen at Anfield.

Going Forward

A performance as poor as this cannot be repeated often if United are to have a successful season, and they only won this match because of the extra-man advantage. On the attack, something United have generally impressed at this season, United must learn to counter-attack far more effectively. The displays of Ferdinand and Evans as a defensive pairing was a positive from this game though, as is the undeniable fact that United have won 5 out of their 6 games this season, an impressive feat no matter what the performances. Long may the team keep racking up the wins.

Ratings

Lindegaard-7, Rafael-7, Ferdinand-8*, Evans-7, Evra-6, Carrick-6, Giggs-5, Nani-4, Valencia-5, Kagawa-5, Van Persie-5

(Scholes-6, Hernandez-6, Welbeck-6)

*Man of the match