Well, what a result, what a victory and what a performance. Three nil away to your biggest rivals, further sinking them into their everlasting despair. That is now 3/3 games won going into the international break, it has been a blissful start for Slot’s red men. Now, let us tuck into this meal.
Going into the game I must admit I expected more from Manchester United, as Slot mentioned in his post-match conference — United have tweaked and improved the scalability of their game-model. Noticeably changing from a player-orientated system to a more zonal 4–2–4, this in addition to signing players better suited to Ten Hag’s game-model (Mason Mount also is basically a new signing), made me predict that the game would be much tighter. Though I think the first 15 minutes or so closely mirrored my predictions, it was a comprehensive win for Liverpool.
Manchester United started the game very well, having won some duels across the pitch coupled with some technical errors in possession from Slot’s Red’s this meant the game started rather uncertainly from a Liverpool standpoint, however United attackers often made incorrect choices/technical errors in their attacking transitions to really make their momentum count. Liverpool’s defensive intensity and tracking back further made proceedings harder for United’s attackers.
Liverpool’s press has been topic of discussion in the aftermath of the game with many citing the more patient approach when engaging in the high press — I am inclined to agree. Liverpool’s attackers allowed Manchester United’s centre-backs to keep the ball across their backline with Salah, Jota, Szoboszlai & and Diaz taking it in turns to apply weak pressure to their respective opponents to bait passes into the centre, where Liverpool always had numerical superiority. A big shoutout to Gravernberch who always seemed to be arriving at his duels at the right time, with the Dutchmen noticeable showing a side to his out-of-possession game that we have not seen before, but at the same time should we be surprised? His physical profile tells us no, we should not be surprised: 6ft 3 in height, incredible stamina which allows him to cover ground with ease alongside long gangly legs which allow him to retrieve the ball from duels better than most.
Manchester United often tried to vertically progress the ball after a back-pass (passing backwards can be a great tactic for drawing the opposition onto you before quickly going forwards) — they attempted this in the lead-up to the first goal — the problem with this in United’s case is that back-passes are also often used a trigger for high-pressing systems — Gravenberch was able to anticipate Casemiro would pass backwards and intercepted the pass. I am only bringing this up to suggest that perhaps it isn’t all down to Casemiro being poor in possession? Ten Hag’s approach needs to be critiqued more vigorously in instances such this, it happens far too much to attribute the fault to the individual.
Slot’s approach in possession was intriguing. It seemed to me that the aim was to heavily utilise the ball-carrying trait both Szoboszlai and Gravenberch possess, but to use it specifically in the half-spaces/ and central zones to be able to directly attack United’s backline. This was seen on numerous occasions in the first half, think Trent’s disallowed goal. Szoboszlai’s movement was unrestricted horizontally with the Hungarian constantly showing himself both centrally and in the left half-space — he was able to constantly find opportunities to drive at United’s back four because of this.
Honourable mentions to the following: Diaz, Salah, Gravenberch & Szoboszlai. Everyone played well but those four for me were astonishing. More so for their incredible decision making in the final third coupled with their rabid pressing.
