Man Utd 2-1 Liverpool: In game and Post Match debrief

While we're on the subject maybe you should make your way to the 'There's 9 other players who had a sh*te game but it's Lucas Leiva's fault thread'.

When did I say it was Lucas fault mate...I said our midfield was poor in terms of creating chances, that goes for Kuyt, Maxi, Mascherano and Lucas...forwards are only as good as their supply line and our supply line today was sh*t.

Which includes Gerrard and Aquilani because they did f**k all. Aquilani touched it 3 times n 20 minutes.

Masch and Lucas were superb in giving Rooney absolutely nothing. He hasn't played that deep all year because he was so starved of the ball. They did the exact same job they were asked in the past 3 meetings which we have won.

Down both flanks was our weakness. That much is clear, in both attack and defence.

masch did very little today - Rooney had freedom of the park

We had the same problem in the last 2 games against the Mancs, both of which we have won.

On the contrary, I remember Lucas and Masch had a very good game in the reverse fixture this season. They played pretty well.
Plus we took our chances in those matches, which is of utmost importance.

On the flip-side - how often did our 'wingers' leave Neville/Evra for dead?

Only Insua got forward a couple of times.

Johnson hardly crossed the half way line.

I just wonder do we train on a full size pitch? Do we train on movement to go pass defenders? Do we train to have accurate long range passes? I believe the answer most probably is no. Our short passes are near perfect but when it comes to long range passes and movement against the opposition defence, we're useless, not to mention we can't string passes together.

Hows about you hop along to the I've got my knob so far up Lucas Leiva's arse no one can tell where he starts and I end thread and condemn Gerrard, theres a good little bunny x

2 chances in 90 minutes of football and you think our midfield was great ?... you knowledge of football obviously has its limits mate.

ray wilkins you w**ker, how did the last 15 mins look comfortable when torres missed a great chance. mascherano is class and he played his position perfect this season last season when we were successful and again this season, the problem lies with lucas, his distribution is not quick enough to gerrard and by the time he gets the ball hes surrounded by 3 players. the problem is we have the solution in aquilani but benitez is so negative that he insists on playing 2 defensive midfielders and with 10 losses it is clear it is not working. I would love to see aquilani in the centre instead of lucas for the season, babel on the left and maxi on the right. the football we played against porstmouth with this formation was a pleasure to watch after the season we have had.

Not using it as an excuse, but I thought Howard Webb had a pretty poor game. Valencia went down in the box when Masch didn't even have a hold of him. Which means the foul should've been given outside the box when he was? And what is it with refs and booking our players? They seem to jump at the first chance.

Fairly dull game really. I don't think either side deserved to win the game. Going to look to the next match now.

masch did very little today - Rooney had freedom of the park

I think the early yellow card didn't help Mascherano.  As for Rooney - he was collecting the ball in an area that his best mate Steven Gerrard was letting him waltz past.

Who on here wanted just 1 point from this game? Am I the only one that thinks United have been very fortunate of the form of Rooney? There squad today was not better than ours, so why did we lose?

We needed to be positive but we were negative and after they scored, Gerrard looked like he was trying to get to do something. What's that all about?

masch did very little today - Rooney had freedom of the park

Torres had more freedom than Rooney and should of had a hat trick. Rooney had not one shot in the box except for his penalty, instead having to shoot from 30 yards out.

Only Insua got forward a couple of times.

Johnson hardly crossed the half way line.

Should have been the other way round. Johnson is better going forward, whereas Insua should just stay back and avoid being caught out of position.

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Which includes Gerrard and Aquilani because they did f**k all. Aquilani touched it 3 times n 20 minutes.

Masch and Lucas were superb in giving Rooney absolutely nothing. He hasn't played that deep all year because he was so starved of the ball. They did the exact same job they were asked in the past 3 meetings which we have won.

Down both flanks was our weakness. That much is clear, in both attack and defence.

I thought Rooney was the most dangerous player in the pitch, and that includes Valencia.

Rooney dropped off and found pockets of space and was creating off that, and looked very threatening at times.

Masch didn't do much for me today, mostly because of the early yellow card.

You can't blame individual players. If Webb-the-Manc wasn't so keen to give United the win, if Torres had taken the two chances, things might have been different. I thought our play was very good up to the penalty and the Ferguson-appeasing bookings.

On a bright side, mates, this was the toughest of our remaining fixtures. Slight consolation, I know, but the rest of our matches aren't very tough.
( For those who doubt our 4th position finishing already )

I'd say our weak links were our midfield redkenny mate.
Masch and Lucas were too deep, Gerrard was too far up. Lost it in midfield.

I wouldn't say they dominated the midfield though mate, would you? On an attacking sense then I can see where you're coming from and I agree. But we were never going to play an adventurous midfield today, you just knew it. I think our vulnerability down either side at the back hampered us and offered them a chance to exploit us. And they did by getting the winner.

Masch seemed too paranoid to get sent off after his yellow card.  He gingerly went into challenges or avoiding them completely.  Why didn't he get substituted?  

Shame Torres missed that gimme at the end.

Who on here wanted just 1 point from this game? Am I the only one that thinks United have been very fortunate of the form of Rooney? There squad today was not better than ours, so why did we lose?

We needed to be positive but we were negative and after they scored, Gerrard looked like he was trying to get to do something. What's that all about?

For me they where better than us all over the park - particuarly in how they kept and moved the ball.
What is depressing is that what imo is a fairly average Man U team by recent standards is 18 points ahead of us with 6/7 games still to play

Insua is a liability. How many times he has been out manouevred and both goals came from his side.

spot on, surely we have a youth player better than him at that position when aurelio is not fit. he makes every right winger we play against look world class. i might even send my cv to benitez, i can play left or right back and am a lot quicker than insua.

On a bright side, mates, this was the toughest of our remaining fixtures. Slight consolation, I know, but the rest of our matches aren't very tough.
( For those who doubt our 4th position finishing already )

Wigan............

Today was a classic example of scoring too early.  Happened to United last year.

Disappointing result but as some others have said, I don't think either side really deserved all three points.

Finishing 4th or not this year is not dependent on beating United at home and losing away.  If we fail to finish top 4 it's the likes of Wigan and Portsmouth away that will be the reason.

Kuyt did well first half but went off the boil big time second half.  Considering I think he has been poor all season, Carragher had a reasonable game.  You can argue we had the better chances in that second half.

Just one of those days.  We've had a good run against these cu*ts so let's hope it starts next game around - a game I will be still be supporting Liverpool for whether we finish 4th or 10th this season.

On a bright side, mates, this was the toughest of our remaining fixtures. Slight consolation, I know, but the rest of our matches aren't very tough.

Got Chelsea to play yet.

Got Chelsea to play yet.

That still was the toughest game.  On paper United away is a harder game than Chelsea at home.  Sad thing is that we probably can't afford to throw that one now.

To be fair, United's movement before the second goal was pretty good. It was unlucky for the young Insua but how can he cope with 2 players overlapping him? That was the kind the movement we've been lacking for many years...