Liverpool were made to rue missed chances, but the home side were just too good and made a reverse scoreline of last season, Femi briefly gives an hindsight for the Reds collapse
The away side began on the front foot. They cajoled the ball around, preyed on United’s misdemeanor at the back, but stupendously failed to convert their chances. Just few minutes into the clash, Raheem Sterling had a decent opportunity to draw first blood, but the young England international couldn’t convert. However, a matured Wayne Rooney made sure he buried his at the other end to send Old Trafford into raptures. And sadly, that was the difference between both teams.
Brendan Rodgers, before the game, spoke about how much of a big game this was, and expected to see aggressiveness from his players when it mattered. In a strange twist of fate, that was lacking. Instead, we witnessed abhorrent defending, laziness and no team spirit.
We were fully aware of the dire situation upfront for Liverpool before the match. Mario Balotelli is misfiring and Rickie Lambert is not the sort of player to get you 20+ goals in a season. Yet many of the chances the Reds had needed not the presence of a Diego Costa to finish.
25 seconds separated Liverpool’s glorious miss from United’s opening goal at the other end. A careless Sterling in the box was denied by the David De Gea, when he really should have scored to boost the morale of the team.
From then it was all Manchester United. Though a bit nervy at the back, they picked up the pace, dominated, made Liverpool look like a division two team, and Rooney’s brilliant finish was the catalyst for more to come.
Before half time, the game was dead and buried. Ashley Young sent in a dangerous cross into the box, it was flicked on by Robin van Persie and Juan Mata headed home. In fairness, it was a controversial goal as Mata seemed to be offside.
Van Persie then cemented his name on the scoresheet in the second half to heap more misery on the visitors and make it six victories in a row for Louis van Gaal.
“The most important thing for me today was we looked like scoring,” said Rodgers. “Over the course of the season we haven’t been creative enough.
“I didn’t think it was a 3-0 game. I thought we were the better team in the first half but we gave away disappointing goals.
“I think it tells you everything that their goalkeeper was man of the match. Our creativity was good today, probably the best all season.
“We know what the solutions are but we have to keep working and hopefully the confidence will return.”
The away side began on the front foot. They cajoled the ball around, preyed on United’s misdemeanor at the back, but stupendously failed to convert their chances. Just few minutes into the clash, Raheem Sterling had a decent opportunity to draw first blood, but the young England international couldn’t convert. However, a matured Wayne Rooney made sure he buried his at the other end to send Old Trafford into raptures. And sadly, that was the difference between both teams.
Brendan Rodgers, before the game, spoke about how much of a big game this was, and expected to see aggressiveness from his players when it mattered. In a strange twist of fate, that was lacking. Instead, we witnessed abhorrent defending, laziness and no team spirit.
We were fully aware of the dire situation upfront for Liverpool before the match. Mario Balotelli is misfiring and Rickie Lambert is not the sort of player to get you 20+ goals in a season. Yet many of the chances the Reds had needed not the presence of a Diego Costa to finish.
25 seconds separated Liverpool’s glorious miss from United’s opening goal at the other end. A careless Sterling in the box was denied by the David De Gea, when he really should have scored to boost the morale of the team.
From then it was all Manchester United. Though a bit nervy at the back, they picked up the pace, dominated, made Liverpool look like a division two team, and Rooney’s brilliant finish was the catalyst for more to come.
Before half time, the game was dead and buried. Ashley Young sent in a dangerous cross into the box, it was flicked on by Robin van Persie and Juan Mata headed home. In fairness, it was a controversial goal as Mata seemed to be offside.
Van Persie then cemented his name on the scoresheet in the second half to heap more misery on the visitors and make it six victories in a row for Louis van Gaal.
“The most important thing for me today was we looked like scoring,” said Rodgers. “Over the course of the season we haven’t been creative enough.
“I didn’t think it was a 3-0 game. I thought we were the better team in the first half but we gave away disappointing goals.
“I think it tells you everything that their goalkeeper was man of the match. Our creativity was good today, probably the best all season.
“We know what the solutions are but we have to keep working and hopefully the confidence will return.”
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