UNITED FACE INJURY CRISIS AFTER LIVERPOOL STALEMATE:
UNITED versus Liverpool is a fixture that has a tendency to disappoint and this was no exception, though few United supporters will have walked away disappointed.
For this was maybe the most stirring and united performance of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reign, if nowhere near the best.
Players dropped like flies to the garlic-sprayed turf and Nemanja Matic had withdrawn the previous day with an injury. Yet United edged Liverpool in a match most memorable for the home support, who brought the away day atmosphere to M16.
Some blemished the support by referencing the Hillsborough disaster and that level of vitriol is never going to be lifted from this fixture.
What was commendable was the unconditional backing Solskjaer and his players got when they most needed it.
This was a personal victory for the Reds boss and woe betide Ed Woodward if he overlooks the form and backing he has generated over the last two months.
United became the first Premier League side in more than four years to make all of their substitutions in the first half and Solskjaer will reflect that at least one was avoidable.
Rather than replace Juan Mata with Alexis Sanchez, Solskjaer sent on Jesse Lingard, not deemed 100 per cent fit to start due to a recent hamstring injury. Within six minutes, Lingard clutched the back of his leg and in a duel with Fabinho he collapsed to the turf 18 minutes after coming on. Solskjaer’s naivety was evident in the adrenaline-fuelled first half against Paris Saint-Germain and was patent again for the visit of another elite club. In hindsight, he must feel Sanchez should have emerged for Mata, rather than risk Lingard. Now four of the established United front six are in a crowded physio’s room with a trip to Crystal Palace scheduled for Wednesday as Anthony Martial is still recovering and Marcus Rashford picked up an injury in the first minute although played on. Even the prolific 17-year-old striker Mason Greenwood is injured. Solskjaer should take his boots to Selhurst Park on Wednesday. Matic, a near-ever present, succumbed to injury in United’s final training session on Saturday. It is to United’s credit that, amid the inconvenient interruptions, they were the more threatening side in both halves. The minute’s applause for Eric Harrison was shortened by referee Michael Oliver as Liverpool fans, who began it clapping, segued into a rendition of ‘Liverpool’ that was drowned out by the Scoreboard End’s boos. That intensified an already febrile atmosphere and the occasion was immediately enlivened by Ashley Young’s braindead back-pass that David de Gea handled. James Milner struck a feeble indirect free-kick.
Liverpool’s superiority was patent prior to the enforced substitutions of Ander Herrera and Mata inside the first 25 minutes, a disruptive period where Rashford’s race seemed to have been run, but he battled on.
It was after the striker embarked on a run that Solskjaer called for Lingard to end his warm-up, only Liverpool’s counter-attack that unwittingly instigated by Rashford and ended by the willing Mata at left-back prolonged Rashford’s outing.
Liverpool figurehead Roberto Firmino also rolled his ankle, making it three substitutions inside half-an-hour. The
Amid inconvenient interruptions, United were the more threatening side Samuel Luckhurst
initial use of Pogba on the left flank was misguided and reactionary, following his display at Chelsea.
It deprived United of a central force to drive them up the pitch and United’s full-backs were completely cowed by Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
Still, Pogba fashioned United’s more daring moments of a troublesome half via a cross and a shot, both blocked by Virgil van Dijk.
United, for all their injury issues, should have headed into the break a goal ahead.
Romelu Lukaku was earlier barracked by Reds supporters for a supposed lack of running, Solskjaer also rollocked him. He responded enterprisingly to play Lingard through. Lingard had felt his hamstring in a duel with Fabinho and when he failed to round Alisson he soon collapsed to the ground and Sanchez finally came on.
The 50-minute chorus of ‘Ole’s at the wheel’ was one of the more stirring sights at Old Trafford in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
They sounded like the raucous away following in and even those in the mild-mannered south stand rocked to the beat of The Stone Roses.
Regardless of the final score, they powerfully informed manager, staff and players they were with them.
Andreas Pereira, on for Herrera, did some Stretford End cheerleading whilst in the midst of maybe his most accomplished Premier League performance. If Solskjaer could have taken off Lukaku, he doubtless would have.
Sanchez’s touch was almost a homage to Lukaku and his lackadaisical approach angered Pogba as he tracked back. Solskjaer applauded United’s forages into the final third and Jurgen Klopp was much more animated, railing at Georginio Wijnaldum and Alisson for their transgressions.
Young’s inswinging set-pieces were troubling Liverpool, only a team-mate kept on straying into offside territory.
Chris Smalling was the third, which rendered his cross that Joel Matip put into his own net inconsequential.
He came closer in added time – when the linesman’s flag stayed down.