For the second year in a row: a week of hype, an afternoon of tripe.
Among the highlights from Liverpool/United today was the fact that Alberto Moreno had to be instructed on how to take a throw-in by the linesman.
Liverpool huffed and puffed but failed to create too many chances of note, but didn't have the quality to convert the couple of chances that fell to Joel Matip and Emre Can. United, meanwhile, had a single shot on target as they flooded the defence to cling on to the point they started the game with. That single shot came from Romelu Lukaku in the first half, with the Belgian completely isolated for the rest of the game, having fewer touches than any other player to start the game.
It was a snooze-inducing repeat of last year's dirge, with Jose Mourinho setting up extremely defensively at Anfield for the second year in a row. With Liverpool arriving into this game out of form, however (one win in seven), many asked after the game why Mourinho did not go for Liverpool's throat, given how fragile they have been all season.
Full time: #LFC 0 #MUFC 0. Looked like mission accomplished for United. Hard to see why they paid an out-of-form Liverpool so much respect
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKay) October 14, 2017
Totally understood Mourinho playing for 0-0 at Anfield last Oct when #MUFC in rut & #LFC flying. Harder to u/stand with situations reversed
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKay) October 14, 2017
With the attacking form they've been in, think United could have tried to ask more questions of a fragile Liverpool defence.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) October 14, 2017
Desperately dispiriting performance from United. Entitled to ask Mourinho: Is that all you've got? I mean, really? Is that it?
— Oliver Holt (@OllieHolt22) October 14, 2017
I get Mourinho's ability to stunt the best away by the way. But if this Man United want to challenge, this isn't a game to target a draw in.
— Ewan MacKenna (@EwanMacKenna) October 14, 2017
This hasn’t been a “tactical masterclass” from Mourinho. L’pool have one of the worst defences in memory and he’s made no attempt to attack.
— Calvin Betton (@Calvbetton) October 14, 2017
Image of Jose Mourinho the pragmatist rather than defensive manager falls down a bit here. Liverpool were fragile and there to be attacked.
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) October 14, 2017
United flying, scoring an average of 3.2 goals per game, playing a Liverpool team low on confidence, and Mourinho sends them out to defend.
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) October 14, 2017
I know it's a Mourinho team, but it's always startling to see such an expensive line-up playing in an ultra-defensive style.
— Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) October 14, 2017
