Football
Danny Lewis 3y

Manchester United ratings: Fred 4/10 in sloppy loss to Liverpool

Manchester United lost to Liverpool 4-2 in a match that had been postponed two weeks ago due to unrest, which took place after a massive security operation foiled another attempt at disruption from protesters.

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United went ahead just 10 minutes at Old Trafford when Bruno Fernandes' shot went in off Nathaniel Phillips' outstretched leg. However, the teams were back on level terms in the 34th minute when Diogo Jota flicked the ball past Dean Henderson, then Roberto Firmino's header made it 2-1 just before half time.

The Brazilian went and made it 3-1 within minutes of the restart, following some calamitous play from United. In the 68th minute, Marcus Rashford brought the home side within a goal of Liverpool.

In the latter stages, Mohamed Salah raced through to extend Liverpool's lead once again after Nemanja Matic lost the ball, condemning United to defeat.

Positives

Getting an early goal is always something that will be encouraging for teams. There were periods after the opener where United defended brilliantly, especially when it came to pressing high up the pitch. Introducing Mason Greenwood to the game definitely made a difference to the flow for a while.

Negatives

There were periods where the home side was far too sloppy on the ball, with passes being misplaced all over the pitch. This lack of quality being shown in poor areas created the openings for Liverpool's third and fourth goal. It will be concerning how much the tone changed after Liverpool's equaliser. Equally, it's two set-pieces that led to both of Liverpool's first two goals.

Manager rating out of 10

5 -- Considering Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rested pretty much the whole team against Leicester City, the Norwegian likely will have expected much more than he got from his side. Whatever the manager said at half time didn't do much, as United had a poor start to the second half. Bringing Greenwood on wasn't enough to get his side back on level terms.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Dean Henderson, 5 -- Came out well and made a good save to deny two separate attempts from Jota. He didn't have much chance of stopping either of Liverpool's first two goals or the fourth, but fumbled in the build-up to the third.

DF Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 7 -- Made a great underlap run and pass to Fernandes for the opening goal. Often looked in command in the first half whether he was attacking or defending down the right. His poor decision making led to a Liverpool chance in the second.

DF Eric Bailly, 6 -- Came close to giving away a penalty twice, while he looked quite erratic defensively at times. Booked for a foul on Jota.

DF Victor Lindelof, 5 -- There were points where the Sweden international looked really uncomfortable, with some passes behind the United backline accentuating that point.

DF Luke Shaw, 5 -- Some of his passing was uncharacteristically sloppy, while his decision making was poor in the build-up to Liverpool's third goal of the game.

MF Scott McTominay, 6 -- Showed good commitment throughout the game and often looked neat with the ball at his feet. Booked for a foul on Fabinho.

MF Fred, 4 -- There were times where Liverpool got past him far too easily, while some of the Brazilian's passing was atrocious, with one misplaced pass resulting in the away side's third of the game.

MF Marcus Rashford, 7 -- Showed good composure in the build-up to the opener, and scored thanks to a brilliant run and nice finish. Missed a decent chance right near the end. Worked tirelessly throughout.

MF Bruno Fernandes, 7 -- His effort forced Phillips to make the decision and led to the opener, but the midfielder drifted in and out of the game.

MF Paul Pogba, 6 -- Played a nice switch for the opener and came close with two efforts of his own. Tried to contribute defensively but lost Firmino far too easily for Liverpool's second.

FW Edinson Cavani, 6 -- Missed the target from a great chance after intercepting a terrible pass from Alisson, but did show some nice link-up play to assist Rashford. Booked for a foul on Thiago Alcantara.

Substitutes

Mason Greenwood, 7 -- Replaced Fred in the 63rd minute, injecting extra energy and quality into United's play. Saw two efforts in quick succession from blocked from close range.

Nemanja Matic, N/A -- Replaced Bailly in the 86th minute and lost the ball in a dangerous area to start the move that resulted in the game's final goal.

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