Tonight, Manchester United suffered a heavy Premier League defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford, with a lethal 0-5 win.
Even though Man United completed the game with just 10 men, the fact that Liverpool already made 5 goals before Paul Pogba was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Naby Keita shouldn't be overlooked.
To show how vital and dominant Jurgen Klopp's Reds were, just on the first-half score sheet, Mohamed Salah, Naby Keita, and Diogo Jota struck 2-1-1, respectively, in the 45-minute run.
We all know Manchester United as one of the most prestigious, respected, and feared teams in the world of football due to their undisputed discipline and respect to all. With a #4 position ranking on the Forbes Soccer Team Valuations List and a total record of 66 trophies and 13 times Premier League wins, it's no doubt this club is one of the best in the world, both on and off.
However, since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (OGS) came to the club, Manchester United has yet to win a trophy, and he should be judged. Although OGS has stabilized Man U and made them happy, tonight's loss to Liverpool FC should be called a failure!
Paul Pobga only lasted 15 minutes after he was shown a red card for a reckless tackle on Naby Keita, while Christiano Ronaldo could have gotten one too, for kicking Curtis Jones while he was laying on the floor on the pitch. Ronaldo's goal was also ruled for a marginal offside call by the VAR.
HotNaija presents to you 7 reasons why Manchester United lost to Liverpool (0-5).
(1). Manchester United Started The Match Poorly
With OGS speaking to the team about making a quick start and dominating the game, none of that has happened.
Man U was cowering at the start of the match, which gave Liverpool the power to play them to their advantage.
Their trembling approach enabled Naby Keita to score the first goal within 4 minutes of starting the game. The match was way too easy for Liverpool, which made them carve out smooth tactics for the entire game.
(2). Failed Pressing Attempt
For some weeks now, Liverpool has been trying to counter out attacks by pressing out their opponents, but every time they do this, they pull their whole team out of position, resulting in a perfect goal buildup for their opponent. This must have been on the stamping authority of OGS.
(3). Surrender To Defeat Too Early
With plenty of recoveries in football at a late stage, Man U players gave up at 4-0 (half-time). This attitude resulted in their fans booking and leaving before the match was even over.
Man U feared that they might get battered bitterly, as Liverpool players gave everything they had to score topnotch goals, so they focused only on their defence, rather than attacking and scoring.
(4). Paul Pogba Didn't Start The Game At First-half
This incredible French central midfielder (sometimes deployed as a left-winger or attacking midfielder) could have made a turnaround on the game if only OGS had put him in the first half of the game. By the time he came into the game at 4-0 goals down, he had already lost confidence. We know too well he would have scored or helped score a goal if OGS had put him out on the pitch from the start of the game.
(5). Loss Of Discipline
Like we said earlier, Man United is renowned for their undisputed discipline and respect; this didn't seem to happen today. Within 15 minutes of Pogba's introduction to a studs-up tackle on Keita in the second half (after he was substituted with Greenwood), he got a red card for delivering an awful tackle on Keita instead.
Just before that, a red card could have been issued to Harry Maguire for a foul on Diogo Jota. Noticing the apparent domination of the game by the Jurgen Klopp's Reds, Man U opted to bring Liverpool down by immaturely using unprofessional moves. Many fans were displeased with this.
(6). Good Subs Not Used
Great substitutions like Henderson, Bailly, Matic, Lingard, Van de Beek and Sancho were not utilized on the field; instead, they were benched.
(7). Christiano Ronaldo Lost His Temper
Ronaldo clearly showed aggressive behaviour towards Curtis, as he kicked him because of their 3 conceded goals. Ronaldo was only fortunate to continue the match after getting frustrated at the end of a 3-0 first-half game. He got a foul from the referee, though, but many expected it to be a red card, as he still kept on kicking the ball while Curtis Jones was yet to stand up.
This act has only earned Ronaldo so much hate, with many threatening to unfollow him on his social media handles.
Manchester United Players For Today's Match
• De Gea
• Wan-Bissika
• Lindelof
• Maguire (c)
• McTominay
• Greenwood
• Fernandes (Dalot 62)
• Rashford (Cavani 62)
• Greenwood (Pogba 45)
• Ronaldo
Today's game was devastating for Manchester United supporters and the club, but it didn't just come out of nowhere; in fact, it was not a surprise. Liverpool showed them the difference, which is huge – having a philosophy & vision. Congratulations to Liverpool FC. Hopefully, Manchester United gets back up very soon.
Records Set Tonight:
• Salah broke Drogba's record as highest scoring African in Premier League, with a hat-trick against Man Utd.
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