RUBEN AMORIM masterminded a massive upset on Sunday as Manchester United stunned Liverpool at Anfield.
The Red Devils suffered a disastrous start to their Premier League campaign, and were only just seeming to find their feet as they went into the international break two weeks ago.
There was little hope for their trip to Anfield, a venue at which they had not recorded a win in almost a decade, since Wayne Rooney scored the only goal in an away win in January 2016.
But in the end it was the men from Manchester that emerged victorious, scoring spectacularly at either end of the match to clinch the match 2-1.
Both managers will have much to think about as they look to learn from the chaotic scenes on Sunday…
Amorim’s three correct calls
There were only two changes from Amorim and three of his picks were debatable. Harry Maguire last started in the Brentford debacle three weeks ago, Casemiro had played 90 minutes for Brazil in South Korea and Japan while Matheus Cunha came in for Benjamin Sesko.
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Dropping Sesko, who had been scoring, for another scoreless forward who had started once in six weeks (and flagged at Brentford) was a selection rife with risk.
Amorim was coy about his rationale for that in his pre-match chat but suggested United did not want to pit Sesko against Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in aerial duels.
That tactic worked and United ought to have been further ahead at the interval with a fluid front three that was on their toes while Liverpool’s defence were on their heels.
Casemiro had a borderline leisurely 57 minutes before he was booked and immediately substituted, while Maguire was colossal at both ends.
Dropping Leny Yoro deprived United of pace in their backline and Matthijs de Ligt had his feathers ruffled but Maguire, who had never won at Anfield, channelled all of that frustration into another captain-like performance.
He has become a skipper without the armband.
Slot surprised
Arne Slot was still going on about United’s “long ball” tactics at Anfield last season on Friday. Before kick-off on Sunday, he wryly noted the absence of Sesko from the United XI and referred to Ruben Amorim’s “5-3-2”.
Slot shares a few similarities with his predecessor and sour grapes is one of them. Any casual observer of United knows they operate in a 3-4-2-1 and they were anything but defensive as they went 1-0 up inside two minutes.
Slot incorrectly predicted that Mason Mount would start up front for United when it was always going to be Cunha after the team sheets were published.
As disparaging as Slot has been about United’s approach, Amorim has barely acknowledged the comments and United have preferred to do their talking on the pitch.
Removing Sesko from the starting XI worked. United kept the ball on the deck and pecked at Liverpool’s goal so often that they should have gone 2-0 up at Anfield for the first time since March 2015.
Amad winging it
Amad and Bryan Mbeumo showed promise as a duo in their first start in pre-season and they were switched on while Liverpool switched off for the second-minute goal.
One of the issues with Amorim’s system last season is too often he played full backs in the wide roles. That has changed this season, with Amad regularly accommodated as the right winger and it has sharpened United’s attack with two out-and-out attackers down their right-hand side.
Amad thrived as one of the two playmakers last season but has selflessly shifted to accommodate Mbeumo. Some of United’s other recent wingers have been anything but selfless and have not survived.
Amorim has seen off four wingers – Antony, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho – partly due to their inability to adapt to his version of a wide player. Amad has gone in the opposite direction, gained a new contract in January and is a certain starter.
Though Amorim can pat himself on the back for bold decisions that made the difference on the day, Slot will be puzzling over his side’s abrupt drop in form, going from five unanswered wins to three straight losses in the league.
Milos off
In the 20th minute, Milos Kerkez pleaded with a teammate for some communication. “Wake up” would have sufficed.
Scousers had some choice words for another full-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold, when Diogo Dalot had him on toast in the corresponding fixture last season. This time, United targeted Liverpool’s left-hand side and it paid off before the two-minute mark.
Kerkez played for Bournemouth for two seasons yet he has looked like a Premier League novice at Liverpool. He has had the benefit of entering a title-winning side and is usually flanked by the best centre half in England in the last decade.
Andy Robertson is past his peak but could be in line for a recall. Slot has already shown he is prepared to bench Jeremie Frimpong, recruited as a right back but reinvented as a right winger by Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen.
Van Dijk
Liverpool’s poorest season under Klopp was effectively sparked by Virgil van Dijk’s nonchalant defending for Sancho to score back in August 2022. Van Dijk is a genuine great but one of his few flaws is he shows little accountability.
Against United, he instructed someone, anyone, to track Mbeumo. There was no one and Mbeumo put United ahead.
The goal came from Van Dijk’s aerial misjudgement that floored Alexis Mac Allister. Rather than look at himself, Van Dijk looked to referee Michael Oliver and demanded to know why the game was not halted.
In the second half, Van Dijk mishit the ball, which smacked Kerkez in the face and almost deflected into the Liverpool net. Van Dijk immediately berated Kerkez for not communicating his position when it was clearly Van Dijk’s clearance to connect with.
United had scored three goals in their ten previous games at Anfield and Van Dijk was a big reason for that. But he is prone to believing his own hype and none of his teammates dare rollock him whenever he commits an error.
Gakpo turning into one that got away for United
It was third time lucky for Cody Gakpo after he smacked the post twice before scoring.
The Dutchman has been Liverpool’s best forward this season and is another success story for their recruitment team nearly three years on from his transfer from PSV Eindhoven.
Gakpo’s equaliser marked his fourth goal against United. The first of those was in the 7-0 annihilation in March 2023.
It had to be Gakpo to inflict that misery on Erik ten Hag. Gakpo was among the attacking options considered by the former United manager and they are both represented by Kees Vos’s SEG agency.
Ten Hag’s tendency to raid the Dutch league almost always backfired but he had an eye for a talent in Gakpo. The problem was United had a plethora of left wingers at the time and it was the last area they needed to reinforce.
Nearly three years on, United lack a right-footed left winger and Gakpo is one of the Premier League’s elite forwards, despite the sitter of a header after Maguire scored.
New-look attack needs to settle
Mohamed Salah is the top scorer for Liverpool against United with 16 goals, but looked like he had never scored in the fixture when he shanked one into The Kop.
It gets to a point where even with a club’s greatest players they are no longer indispensable and Slot could be forgiven for hooking Salah with Liverpool chasing another equaliser.
We have seen it before with star players who secure lavish new contracts. It is reasonable to question Salah’s hunger and his happiness.
Liverpool have invested so much, perhaps too much, in forwards and it has clearly upset the applecart. Salah is no longer necessarily the main man.
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And nor is Alexander Isak, who made way even earlier. Britain’s most expensive footballer is now on a meagre one goal in seven games, and he squandered his first-half one-on-one with Senne Lammens.
Isak abandoned the basic forms of professionalism to go on strike and force through his £125million move but that has cost him fitness, playing time and goals. It has also cost Liverpool points.
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