Game Recap
This matchup was not close even from the beginning as Liverpool took a 4-0 lead before halftime. This was their largest margin that they have been down at halftime in their history. This does not look good for manager Ole Solskjaer, whose job has been rumored to be on the line as of late.
Naby Keita started off scoring in the 5th minute followed by a simple finish by Diogo Jota off of a mistake by United defenders Harry Macguire and Luke Shaw. Mohammed Salah did the rest of the work, scoring a hat trick by scoring pals in the 38th, stoppage time in the 45th, and 50th minutes.
There were very few positives from Manchester United’s performance. Essentially, the defeat was a disgrace for all of Manchester United and their fans. Many players directed apologies to their fans and stated that they will work harder to sort out their issues and be better going forward.
Manchester United’s Turnaround
There are many different issues that United are facing right now, but that also alludes that there are many possible solutions to their issues.
The first solution would be to sack Solskjaer and look to replace him before we get too far into league play. Ole’s job has been on the line for awhile now and there could be a few more losses/ties that United might have had without the help of some late comebacks by their star players. Top candidates to take on the job at United are Antonio Conte, Brendan Rodgers, and Zinedane Zidane.
There need to be some defensive changes if United want to get their play to return to their own high standards. Both Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire have looked lethargic at best in the past week or so. The issue that United are facing is that they are undermanned in defense with Varane out, but look for the manager to make some changes come next week.
Accountability needs to be on the minds of the Manchester United players. The body language was not good from the Red Devils with many fouls of frustration including Paul Pogba’s straight red after a dirty slide tackle. The players, especially the veterans on the team, need to figure out how to fix their issues on the field knowing that there hasn’t been much help from management.
Conclusion and Next Matchup
This Manchester United team is too talented to be tied for seventh in the Premier League table. They need to figure out how to play with one another and the management needs to put them in the correct formation to win the game.
The Red Devils will take on sixth place Tottenham Hotspur at 12:30 pm EST on Saturday at Tottenham. This will be a must-needed win for Manchester United’s title hopes and Ole Solskjaer’s job if he is able to make it through the week.
