Liverpool settled for a goalless draw against bitter rivals Manchester United in a Monday night Premier League match at Anfield.The match failed to produce the explosiveness that usually attended the games between the two England's football giants.

1. Mourinho’s Defeatist Tactical Approach Earns him a Point against Liverpool
Liverpool settled for a goalless draw against bitter rivals Manchester United in a
Monday night Premier League match at Anfield.The match failed to produce the
explosiveness that usually attended the games between the two England's football
giants.
Liverpool were forced by injuries to introduce two new players to their starting
eleven.Emre Can came in for the injured Georgino Wijnaldum and Daniel
Sturridge came into the team to lead the attack - his inclusion compelled Klopp to
move Firmino to the left flank while Coutinho was moved to the central mid-field
position usually occupied by the injured Adam Lallana. The team still played its
customary 4.3.3 formation.
Mourinho, having a defensive game plan in mind, altered his usual formation and
brought in few new faces to his usual starting eleven. Ashley Young and Mauroane
Fellaini were included in the starting lineup.
In the early exchanges, Manchester United prevented Liverpool’s players from
making attacking runs into their half of the pitch by having many bodies in the
mid-field. Liverpool’s inter-linking passes were stifled by United’s players who
were throwing tackles, some of which resulted in yellow cards being awarded
against them.
The only attacking threat that came United’s way was through Marcus Rashford’s
cross from the right flank that was pushed out the goal mouth by Karius.
Liverpool’s mid-fielders’ inability to make penetrative passes through United’s
defensive formation prevented them from feeding passes to Daniel Sturridge who

2. was isolated upfront throughout his stay in the pitch. The team, however, found
their rhythm in the last ten minutes of the first half.
The second half resumed with Liverpool showing more incisiveness in their
attacking play. They completely dominated possession and were evidently more
inventive.
United had a chance to shoot into the lead in the fifty fourth minute of the game
from a Pogba’s pass that found Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the penalty box, but the
Swede chose to head the ball backward, perhaps with the intention of finding an
onrushing team mate to shoot the ball into the net – his header, however, flew wide
off the goal post.
Liverpool’s defenders played with composure and understanding amongst
themselves. Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren comfortably handled the attacking threat
of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Loris Karius, though not tested too many times in the
match, still exhibited some nervousness during the match. His faulty pass to his
team mates fell on the path of Ibrahimovic who’s shot at goal was adjudged as off
side by the referee.
The introduction of Lallana to replaced Sturridge brought more bite to Liverpool’s
attack in the final third.
As Liverpool’s game gained momentum in the second half, many chances came
their way.
Emre Can on receiving a pass from Matip inside United’ penalty box, tried to
create a space to shoot at goal, but the stiff challenge from Chris Smallings was so
much that he could only manage a low drive which De Gea succeded in pushing
out of danger.

3. A timely tackle from Antonio Valencia stopped Roberto Firmino from shooting at
United’s goal post after he had freed himself from the left flank and had only De
Gea to beat.
Phillipe Coutinho’s trademark curler from outside the penalty box was
spectacularly punched out of the goal post by David De Gea.
Mention must be made of the contribution of Manchester United record signing,
Paul Pogba. His performance was so pedestrian that it begged the recurrent
question whether he is worth the huge amount paid for his purchase.
At the end of the match, Mourinho had succeded in containing the attacking threat
of Liverpool, but what defeats the imagination is why he chose to employ a
defensive style with plethora of star at his disposal. Mourinho’s defensive tactics
show that he has mortal fear for the attacking play of Liverpool. And dropping his
more creative players for defensive-minded ones is an open concession that
Liverpool’s players are technically superior to his own players.
Publishedin http://www.soccerdissection.com/