Football

5 tactical questions ahead of Liverpool versus Man Utd

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6 years ago

December 15, 2018

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A litany of injuries for both Manchester United and Liverpool casts a shadow over this Sunday’s north-west derby. The good news for neutrals is that the vast majority of those sidelined are defenders; Phil Jones and Dejan Lovren are set to play key roles up against the likes of Mohamed Salah and Marcus Rashford. There really ought to be goals in this one.

1) Shaqiri and Pogba: How attacking are both managers willing to play?

Man Utd have generally performed better in ‘Big Six’ matches when pushing out of their own third, stepping up to meet the opposition and deploying three quick forwards to counter-attack. But Mourinho still tends to fall back on his defensive instincts, and with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Salah up front a conservative approach is the most likely.

That probably means leaving Pogba out – a fairly easy decision given the Frenchman failed to impress in a 2-1 defeat at Valencia in midweek. United were woefully deep on Wednesday, inviting pressure by letting the hosts enter the final third unopposed. Liverpool will smell blood, which is why Klopp’s team selection will also prove revealing.

United have won just two of their last six matches in all competitions and continue to lumber about the pitch with an aimlessness of existential proportions. If Klopp is brave, he can deploy Xherdan Shaqiri in central midfield.

Liverpool’s superior energy levels and organisation means they could, with a fast start and attacking line-up, terrorise Mourinho’s side. Here is a rare opportunity to really twist the knife, to send shockwaves through Manchester – both the red and blue halves.

2) Is United’s midfield mobile enough to prevent Liverpool from penning them in?

Man Utd look considerably more mobile in the centre of the park with Ander Herrera buzzing around Nemanja Matic. The Spaniard has made 5.7 tackles and 5.7 interceptions per match since his run in the first team began at the start of December, which is almost three times more than United’s next best performer in either category. Herrera and Matic will most likely be joined by Marouane Fellaini on Sunday as Mourinho attempts to compete physically with the Liverpool midfield.

Herrera is the only one of the three capable of evading Liverpool’s gegenpress and launching a counter; it is easy to envisage Matic and Fellaini getting caught on the ball, or simply struggling to keep up with the furious movement of Georginio Wijnaldum as he mops up the second balls.

Wijnaldum’s form has flown under the radar this season but the Netherlands international has made huge strides since joining the club in 2016. The 29-year-old’s ability to weave through the crowd and pick out a pass under pressure was crucial in helping Liverpool dominate against Bournemouth and Napoli.

On both occasions the opposition were penned in for long periods, something Man Utd cannot afford to let happen. Even if others grab the headlines it is the two unsung heroes, Herrera and Wijnaldum, who will probably decide the outcome.

3) Will Salah tear Jones to shreds?

Mourinho is down to the bare bones defensively, which means he will be forced to select the same centre-back partnership that struggled in Valencia on Wednesday. Phil Jones was particularly poor, his disappointing headed clearance causing the first goal before he put the ball into his own net in the second half. When Jones lacks confidence he becomes clumsy and his movements slow down. Presumably Salah is already haunting his dreams.

The Egyptian has kicked up a notch over the past week, scoring a hat-trick against Bournemouth and then the winner against Napoli in performances defined by hardened determination and the return of that sudden change of direction. The way he carried on after Steve Cook stood on his ankle; the way he ghosted past Kalidou Koulibaly as if he wasn’t there… poor Jones doesn’t stand a chance.

4) Can Dalot repeat his Fulham performance or will Mane pin him back?

Diogo Dalot missed the Valencia game with injury but appears likely to return in time to start at Anfield. The 19-year-old was United’s best player in the 4-1 defeat of Fulham last weekend, his marauding runs down the right and fizzing crosses giving Mourinho’s side a forward-thinking dimension that was reminiscent of the Fergie era; get it wide, attack the full-back and swing it in.

For United to take points from Liverpool they will need his aggression, and yet there is obviously a chance the threat of Mane will pin Dalot back. The young right-back’s success at Fulham was partly thanks to Claudio Ranieri’s nervy defensive blockade, with the hosts not only failing to engage but willingly conceding the flanks to United’s overlapping full-backs.

Dalot will be considerably more restricted at Liverpool, and yet Mane and Andrew Robertson tend to leave a lot of space behind them should the Portuguese be freed by his manager. His crosses could be crucial to winning corners, with the hosts still vulnerable when defending set-pieces.

5) Will Martial and Rashford take advantage of Liverpool’s defensive injuries on the counter?

Mourinho has already confirmed that Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard will start at Anfield, and Anthony Martial is reportedly ready to play after his tight hamstring was described as a “pre-injury”. This team news points to a system aimed at using pace to break behind Liverpool’s high defensive line.

The pace of Martial and Rashford, with Lingard just behind, could cause havoc against Dejan Lovren, deputising for the injured Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Regardless of their starting positions Rashford and Martial always tend to lean left, which means directly targeting right-sided centre-back Lovren – and James Milner, likely to fill in at right-back. Liverpool’s defence on Sunday will be worryingly similar to the error-prone one of the first half.