AFTER 22 minutes, I had to check the date and confirm it wasn’t the first week of January.
Because take away the name of the visiting team and this had all the hallmarks of a third-round FA Cup tie.
Manchester United were totally outclassed by Liverpool in a 4-0 defeat at Anfield Credit: PA
The gulf in class, commitment and composure was clear to see from the first minute Credit: Getty One of the Premier League giants drawn at home against a plucky non-League side.
Everyone knows the result before a ball is kicked, the home team won’t need to get out of second gear, the absolute chasm in fitness levels, confidence and quality will be obvious.
And so it proved.
With a quarter of the game gone, it was 2-0 and all 53,000 people inside the stadium knew it was game over.
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Man Utd miss Ronaldo’s presence up top as they receive hammering by Liverpool The only difference is that usually the semi-pro footballers, who are often plumbers or accountants during the week, give it their best and seem to enjoy the free football lesson.
But on Tuesday night it was 20-time English champions Manchester United on the receiving end of Liverpool’s 90-minute lecture.
This is supposed to be a rivalry – but on paper alone these days.
Jurgen Klopp’s electric, silky stars toyed with their opponents, who looked like they had been fixing water pipes or sat in an office number crunching rather than doing any tactical preparation in the build-up to their trip to Anfield.
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This was utter toilet from United.
Yes, we know the Liverpool players are better. That’s a given.
But Thiago could have been a farmer with the acres of open field he was allowed to operate in on Merseyside.
No pressure whatsoever, no closing down, no effort.
And when they did get a rare touch of the ball, United showed no quality, none.
No class. No commitment. No composure.
Possession: 28 per cent. Corners: two. Shots on target: one.
Any threat of scoring? Don’t be silly.
You expect the non-League team to fluff their lines when they do get that one good opportunity out of nowhere.
You expect, no, you demand better from multimillion-pound, experienced internationals – I’m looking at you Messrs Fernandes and Rashford.
Instead, the whole team did their best impressions of donkeys with their woeful control and insistence on aimlessly hoof-ing it long at every opportunity.
They may have shown some teeth for ten or 15 minutes early in the second half, but a third from Sadio Mane killed it off before Mo Salah rounded off the 9-0 aggregate thumping.
This United side were taken for a ride and made to look an a**.
Erik ten Hag has got a mighty job on his hands to plug all the leaks and calculate the cost of the repair job at Old Trafford.
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I need hip replacement but I’d rather be in a wheelchair, says Liam Gallagher Forget about the Champions League – maybe the incoming new boss could put in a few calls to the National League.
At least there, especially down the road at leaders Stockport, he might find some players with a bit of fight and an appreciation of what it takes to be a professional.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
