If anything, I feel as if we've gone backwards. Before, the play style may not have been great but in the main, we at least saw that we were a counter-attacking team. Now though, it's hard to see a clear style or a team at all.
It was really disappointing to lose in this manner. Defeat is one thing, but how you lose is another. We've been down this road before and it only ends one way.
1. The system
Ermm,
WHAT THE FUCK IS IT?!
Seriously, I haven't a clue.
There were times in that game where Casemiro dropped between the centre-backs to make it a back three with the full-backs moving forward; other times we had a sort of 4-4-2 thing going; and there were also moments where Liverpool's defence had the ball and we pressed with 6, had no midfield and our back line was relatively deep resulting in that massive gap in the centre of the park.
Whatever the system and tactics are, I feel that they don't help in trying to make up for the deficiencies of some of our players, mainly Casemiro as CDM.
If anything, these tactics emphasize those weaknesses even more making it easier for opposition's to take advantage of us.
I understand that the manager has to have a level of trust in his players and there's not much else he could've done in terms of selection for CDM as the only other option was Toby Collyer, a young lad.
After that game though, Collyer should've started.
When you know certain players have their weaknesses, shouldn't you try to accommodate for that? Shouldn't you try to get the rest of the team and your tactics to a point where you cover up for those vulnerabilities?
I can't explain what they do in training tbh.
2. No creativity
This lack of a clear system is also killing us up front.
We created next to nothing in attack with only two good chances coming all game which to be honest, Joshua Zirkzee should've scored from.
But two chances isn't good enough even if it is against a good side like Liverpool. At home, we expect to see something more on the front foot.
United created few clear-cut opportunities at Brighton as well with the win over Fulham being the only game out of the three where we looked like we could score some goals.
Those chances all came from the high press which caused Fulham several issues. That high press wasn't as good without Mason Mount but we cannot use the excuse of not having one player as the reason as to why we don't press well or create chances.
All the players need to get accustomed to this tactic so that we know we can still execute it while others are absent.
It seems that that tactic of trying to catch teams on the counter or take advantage of some spaces left in behind is the only way for us to make some goal scoring opportunities.
That is basic and has been our attacking style for quite some time.
Zirkzee looked way off the pace, Bruno didn't create anything, Rashford was Rashfording (aka being useless), Garnacho was crap, Mainoo was poor and even Casemiro wasn't as useful in attack as he had been in the first couple of games.
We were toothless.
How is it that whatever this system is has taken away our ability to well, football. Our passing is poor, the team are separated by a huge gap in midfield, we don't create chances, we give the ball away stupidly, and so much more.
3. No energy
As much as we can criticize the manager for his tactics, substitutions, favoritism and talking absolute shite, whoever he selects and wherever they're selected to play, those on the field have to give it everything.
We didn't see that. We haven't seen it for a while.
Our players look slow, lethargic, unfit or maybe they just can't be arsed. Perhaps it's a combo of all of them but whatever it is, that is unacceptable.
We have far too many players who don't work hard and fight for the badge as LFC just looked hungrier, they fought for everything from the 1st minute to the last.
Liverpool were 3-0 up with minutes to go and Mo Salah was tracking back helping out in defence. Darwin Nunez did the same. They are two attackers for Arne Slot.
Our players can't even do that in the first 10 minutes when it's 0-0 let alone winning a game towards the end.
How we have players who don't give it everything playing for us is something I can't wrap my head around. The fact that I'm discussing this issue is a problem in itself because energy and the will to fight should be a part of them anyway.
4. Manuel Ugarte
He didn't play, unfortunately. But I think that it highlighted the problem even more.
Casemiro was shite. All agreed. He would admit that himself and I don't think Liverpool could quite believe how poor he was. We were playing 10 against 12 thanks to him.
But it's not just his passing that is the problem. His lack of running ability and covering of the space is a big problem. This is where the system doesn't help him because regardless of who the number 6 is (as Kobbie Mainoo was poor at it as well), they get exposed. Ideally if this is to be the system moving forward, you will need someone who can cover that ground.
Ugarte is capable of doing that but this is the Premier League, this is Man Utd. The league is way better than what he experienced in France and MUFC are way bigger than PSG.
The pressure on him to come in and hit the ground running will be immense and unfair. As a new signing time is needed for Ugarte to truly embed into the team. The problem is, we cannot afford that time as the only options as holding midfielder is Casemiro, who is a risk, and Collyer, who is just 20-years-old.
Ugarte needed to be signed earlier as I cannot understand why this position wasn't seen as a top priority. It's such an important position in football and to be running the risk with Casemiro and hoping that his form would improve from last season is quite silly.
It's clearer now that we need the Uruguayan and that he needs to come straight into the team. No easing him in to the side crap. Although after Erik ten Hag's 'Harry Potter' comments, I fear that we won't see Ugarte as soon as we'd like.
If Ugarte also happens to be shite or gets badly injured, that is probably our season done and ten Hag done at the club, unless he changes his tactics. However, due to his stubborness, there's more chances of pigs flying than that happening.
5. No Leadership
This has been a problem for a while. Considering some of the names brought in over the years and the experience of a lot of the squad, I thought that we would see some form of leadership.
I was wrong.
The thing with these players is that they appear to be confidence players. When things are going right, everyone looks 10 feet tall and feels great, the leadership is on point, the energy is plain to see.
Everyone can feel like that when things are going your way.
What separates the good from the great is their ability to bounce back from setbacks, when things aren't looking so good, when things are going against you.
That's the difference.
We don't have that ability and mindset. We haven't had it for a long time.
United actually played decent stuff for the first 15-20 minutes even after the disallowed goal. But as we seem to do too often, we make a stupid mistake which ends up costing us and all from our own accord.
Once the opposition take advantage, the heads drop and the opponent are all over us. This then leads to the other team having more chances and perhaps scoring more goals. That is exactly what happeneed against Liverpool.
It's clear that there is some sort of mental block in that entire playing squad. It's also clear that regardless of what you've done in the past, eventually, you catch the virus of having a poor mentality that has infected United over the past decade.
Casemiro is a good example. It's hard to believe that he is the Brazilian captain, won 5 Champions Leagues and was the best CDM of the last 10 years.
Bruno Fernandes as the captain very rarely leads by example in these tough moments as he too looks lost.
I don't know, I feel like our players are perhaps just snowflakes. You know how this new generation gets offended whenever someone talks a little shit about them or says something slightly negative? That's how I feel about this United and their mentality.
Things go well, no issues. As soon as it goes badly, problems. Big problems.
Background Image: Erik ten Hag and Arne Slot | Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images - Rousing The Kop