You could speak of a historic evening in the Premier League yesterday: Manchester United’s 7-0 pandering to Liverpool. Filip Joos witnessed the match as a commentator for Play Sports at Anfield: “It was longer than expected with a 7-0, a very good match between 2 teams.”
“Liverpool was impressive”, Filip Joose kicked in an open door. “What helped with that was that Manchester United continued to believe in themselves for a long time. That only changed with the 4-0.”
“I do not entirely agree with analysts who call United that it is weak and a disgrace. I just had the feeling – because United has now tanked so much confidence and self-respect – that they thought they could turn it around. Also at 3 -0. I like that in itself.”
“I found United coach Ten Hag very passive along the line. If he says they kept walking into the knife, it’s up to him as a coach to get the belts in. I think he half believed in it himself .”
“Maybe that’s some delusions of grandeur. And all the praise made him believe in himself too much, that he could add that too. Maybe there was 20 percent in his head that still thought about glory.”
After Gakpo’s 4-0 after more than an hour, the visiting boat had indeed sunk. “Then it was the deconfiture.”
The visiting coach was hard on his players afterwards. The Dutchman called it “non-professional”. Joos thought that was strange: “I thought Ten Hag was too passive to throw the stone at his players now. He didn’t sit down, but stood still. He took the storm full. But there was no indication whatsoever.”
Jürgen Klopp (l) and Erik ten Hag (r).
“Mo Salah best man on the field”
Joos doesn’t just want to look at United’s failure. “Because it was Liverpool that was super good. With Mo Salah as the best man on the pitch.”
“Gakpo was great. Nuñez was just weak in the first half, although he also scored twice afterwards.”
Joos is not a real fan of Nuñez: “Although he can weigh. I still find the division of roles strange with Gakpo as a false 9 and Nuñez from the left. During the match that changed now and then. Once it moves, it works. But in matches where opponents really adjust to Liverpool, it’s much harder to get that carousel going.”
“Then I would let Gakpo come from the left, that is more his nature. Nuñez’s nature is to run, fight, control the ball incorrectly, get it back. But you can say after yesterday that it worked.”
“Long very good match between 2 teams, then sublime match by 1 team”
Joos does make the following comment. “It could have been 0-1 in the first half, Rashford missed a huge chance. It’s not that United were nowhere in the first half. It was a really good game in the first half and a lot more in the second And then it became a sublime match of one team.”
Within that team, Salah was the star for Joos: “With the Egyptian I always have the feeling of a great teammate. I also asked Van Dijk yesterday. Van Dijk also told me that they have a really great group: “Otherwise you can You can’t do what you did yesterday after what we’ve all been through this season.”
“And that is true somewhere. Liverpool have not conceded a goal in the last 5 league matches. They have crawled up from the depths again. I continue to admire Klopp in that. That is the difference with (Tottenham coach) Antonio Conte, who 2 defeats already thinks: “If only I could sit in Italy again, good food…””
“If they don’t throw you out, it’s your duty as a coach to keep believing in it and keep working hard. And maybe even more. That’s actually a privilege and I think Klopp realizes that.”
If they don’t throw you out, it’s your duty as a coach to keep believing and keep working hard. Klopp realizes that.
Klopp was happy yesterday, but still far from euphoric. “Because it’s just this,” Joos rightly states. “If this doesn’t work…”
“For example, I think of supporters of Lazio and Roma. If they win the derby, they are content, even if they finish 12th. That is the mentality of a small club. And that mentality has transcended Liverpool in recent years.”
“This is a huge burst of joy, but it’s only 3 points. And that applies to United and Liverpool.”
“I can see Ten Hag straightening this out, the upcoming matches are not impossible. And I also see Klopp realize that they are far from there. Because Liverpool actually have to play the Champions League. They are better than Tottenham and Newcastle.”
Arsenal lead with 63 points, ahead of City (58), United (49), Tottenham (45) and Liverpool (42). The top 4 may go to the champions ball.
“At Bournemouth I see Liverpool winning the next match. And then the 3 matches are coming up. Manchester City, Fulham and Arsenal. Until about three months ago you would say they will lose them. But now…”
