He returned to the team after a ten game ban for biting and at times played like he was never away he also showed a little bit of rustiness which was to have been expected.
The game started with us struggling to adjust to playing with three centre backs and Man Utd forcing us back but after about 15 minutes we started to get to grips with the game and started to have more control in our game.
Despite all our possession we still seemed to be missing that incisive creative spark that Coutinho gives us.
Moses playing in the role that Coutinho would normally play in tried his best to get the link up play working with Suarez and Sturridge but it was not quite there on many occasions with the killer pass failing causing attacks to break down.
At half time we were quite pleased with our performance and then we threw it all away by conceding another goal from a corner with this time Enrique to blame for letting Hernandez get away from him in the six yard box to instinctively stab home the winning goal.
We then produced a concerted effort to come back for the first time this season in the second half and with a Suarez free kick hit the top of the bar, Moses diving header straight at the keeper and Henderson placed shot went just wide of the United goal.
All this was in vain with Utd seeing out the game and our adventure in the Capital One Cup coming to an early end.
Positives
Suarez coming back and getting a full 90 minutes under his belt, his link up play with Sturridge looked very promising, some of his movement despite not being up to full match fitness was outstanding.
Negatives
We are out of the cup at an early stage, without European football, a lack of concentration costing us one route back into European football next season.
1 win out of the last 4 games we now need a response from our team against Sunderland on Sunday afternoon, no excuses we need to get back on the winning track as two losses in a row becoming three losses in a row is just not acceptable for a club that just focuses on the league.
Man of the match - Luis Suarez - Played like he hadn't been away and once fully match fit will cause teams all sorts of problems with his dazzling skills and unpredictability.
MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea, Rafael Da Silva, Smalling, Evans, Buttner,
Jones, Giggs, Nani (Welbeck 90), Rooney, Kagawa (Januzaj 73), Hernandez (Carrick 74).
Subs not used: Anderson, Fabio Da Silva, Zaha, Amos.
Goals: Hernandez 46
Booked: Jones, Giggs
LIVERPOOL: Mignolet, Toure, Skrtel, Sakho, Jose Enrique, Gerrard, Lucas (Kelly 67), Henderson, Suarez, Moses (Sterling 82), Sturridge.
Subs not used: Brad Jones, Alberto, Aspas, Ibe, Wisdom.
Booked: Toure, Lucas, Henderson
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Good to see Suarez for 90 mins. Undone by a set piece, how annoying!
ReplyDeleteWasn't Henderson useless?
A good performance doesn't make any difference when we are out of the cup as David rightly says above. It was disappointing, especially because Man United made so many changes and we were on the front in the first half, but as you say we lacked that final 'killer pass'.
DeleteI still believe Gerrard should be the player to play the pivotal role, because know one else provides the vision and touch to replace Coutinho.
Of the clear cut chances we did have through, Henderson, Moses and to a lesser extent Touré the finishing was disappointing. The midfield must step up if we are to in touch in the league in front of the goal and keeping up a full head of steam for longer in games, because we lack quality in depth in that key areas.
As the comment states above, a soft goal lost against another set piece is really disappointing and we have tightened up.
The Sunderland game takes on a pivotal moment already in our season.
Apart from that free kick Luis Suarez took with venom and which almost cracked the cross bar and the diving header from Enriquie there was not much to get excited about.
DeleteJan Thomson