Following an extensive international break, Premier League football is back with a bang. Manchester United are set to pay a visit to Liverpool this afternoon, where they’ll be hoping to pick up a positive result as they seek improve their season.
Last time around, Man United clinched a convincing 2-0 victory over the high-flying Sunderland, although they have struggled for consistency, sitting in 11th place in the Premier League table after winning just three of their first seven matches.
Still, as the win over Sunderland and the 2-1 triumph over Chelsea proved, United have the capacity to take on tough opponents and come away with a result so long as they approach the game the right way.
There are three crucial tactics that manager Ruben Amorim must employ if his side are to perform at their best at Anfield this afternoon.
Abandon the high line
During United’s 3-1 loss to Brentford, the goals they conceded all came as a result of their decision to play a high line, whereby their opponents’ fast forwards outpaced their back three.
Liverpool will pose a similar threat, with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Aleksander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike all exhibiting great acceleration, much like Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz.
While Leny Yoro has decent pace, the likes of Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, and the ageing Luke Shaw are considerably slower, meaning that it would be better for Amorim to ensure that his back three remain deep so as to not be caught off guard and outrun.
This way, Liverpool cannot beat the offside trap as easily.
Pace yourselves
In almost every league match this season, United have gotten off to a bright start, only to lose steam as the first half wears on. This would be a grave error against Liverpool, especially given their knack for hitting opponents on the break.
United cannot afford to allow this to happen against Liverpool, because if the likes of Fulham were able to score as soon as they lost their steam, this could certainly happen at Anfield.
Amorim must ensure that his players do not come out swinging too hard from the first whistle, instead pacing themselves and doing their best to read the game so that they don’t get overexerted and outplayed by Liverpool.
Avoid playing out from the back
Goalkeeper Senne Lammens enjoyed an impressive United debut during the Sunderland game, exhibiting great diving and catch ability while taking command in the box.
The only issues came when United’s defenders would play impulsive back passes to Lammens, placing him under unnecessary pressure, particularly when Sunderland’s wingers were pushing up.
United would do well to avoid such gameplay at Anfield, especially since this could result in an unecessary goal being conceded even if they play impressively throughout the encounter.
Should United be able to implement these three measures, they could produce an impressive upset this afternoon. They certainly have the talented players to do it.
How many players can you name who have played for both United and Liverpool? There is a full list in our article every player to play for both Man United and Liverpool.
Featured image Matt McNulty via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
