A hint that it was not Manchester United’s day emerged around half-hour before kick-off. The PA played Sit Down, the 1990s anthem by the local band James. But, as many a football fan knows, it has been appropriated by Liverpool supporters, changing the chorus to “Mo Salah”. The name of Liverpool’s Egyptian king echoed around Old Trafford long before he became the first opponent to score a Premier League hat-trick there.
It felt sadly symbolic of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United: the emphasis on all things Mancunian, the good intentions, the lack of coherent thought and the predictably bad outcome. When Cristiano Ronaldo’s previous appearance in the meeting of English football’s two most decorated clubs ended in a 4-1 Liverpool win in 2009, there was a genuine sense of shock. If 5-0 in 2021 represented a sensational scoreline, if United were shocking, this had felt very possible.
A harrowing defeat to Liverpool cost Jose Mourinho his job; Solskjaer proved equally unable to find an answer to Jurgen Klopp’s full-throttle football, but may linger on longer. Unlike his predecessor, he is not toxic. He has simply been outclassed and outcoached repeatedly over a dreadful six weeks. Even the comeback wins against Villarreal and Atalanta, thrilling as they were, inviting memories of famous fightbacks in the past, were only required because of United’s failings.
“It didn’t come out of nowhere,” the former United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said. “It wasn’t a surprise. Liverpool showed them the difference, which is huge - having a philosophy & vision.” In contrast, United have a nostalgia project. Their powerbrokers can be out of touch, slow to act and hesitant about hiring new managers, but the realisation should be dawning that ambitions will not be realised under Solskjaer. He may go down as a transitional manager, but not a transformative one. The title will be contested by three clubs led by superior tacticians, with more modern ideas and the attention to detail to implement them. The major honours will not go to a side with a solitary clean sheet in 21 games.
Player ratings
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MANCHESTER UNITED RATINGS: David de Gea 4 - Conceded now in 13 consecutive home games for United – not that he could do much about the five which past him. A chocolate fireguard would have offered more protection. Good save from Alexander Arnold after 70. EPA -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka 3 - Left his man to try and retrieve the ball before Liverpool’s opener. Didn’t. And from there things got even worse. Booked – one of seven United players to get a card on a day of frustration. EPA -
Victor Lindelof 3 - Another in the wrong position for the opener for the most jittery start from United. Ball bounced off him before Liverpool’s third. Booed off at half time with the rest of his teammates by a support who otherwise sang until the end. No wonder several of the players apologised. EPA -
Harry Maguire 2 - Adrift as Liverpool cut United’s defence open from the start and tangled with Shaw for the second as Liverpool went 2-0 up after 13. Things got even worse and he’s having an awful time of it. Booked. Getty -
Luke Shaw 3 - Stranded for Liverpool’s opener. Shot wide from distance after 21, but, like the rest of the defenders, he was all over the place as a far superior Liverpool passed the ball around them. EPA -
Fred 3 - Lovely ball to Ronaldo after three minutes. And that was the highlight as his side were thrashed. Booked. Not even fair to compare him to someone as influential as Jordan Henderson today. Had little time on the ball against a side who never stopped hunting the ball down. EPA -
Scott McTominay 3 - Ran back to dispossess Salah after eight minutes. Does he really want to be reminded of anything after that as Liverpool completely dominated? Headed ball down to set up Cavani after 83. The game was so far gone, there was barely a reaction when the ball went in the net. EPA -
Bruno Fernandes 3 - Skied a third minute shot over. Wasted. Often frustrated, too often argumentative. Booked for this on an afternoon which became deeply embarrassing for the home team. AP -
Mason Greenwood 4 - Was up for it from the start, intercepting a Liverpool attack. Then they scored twice. Shot tested Alisson after 28, but what else can you say about a player on a side which was 4-0 down at half-time for the first time in 31 years? AP -
Marcus Rashford 3 - Lively start and got away from Kieta to shoot wide from 25 yards. But lost in the hideous muddle which developed and for which no words can make up. EPA -
Cristiano Ronaldo 3 - Another who skied a shot early on. Put the ball in the net after 53 with a superb shot, but it was offside. Booked. He’s hugely frustrated – and hugely influential. And that could be a blessing and a curse for United. AP -
SUBS: Paul Pogba 2 - On for Greenwood at HT. Dived in for a challenge with Keita on 58 and was sent off. He should have known far better. AP -
Edinson Cavani 3 - On for Fernandes after 61 as Liverpool fans sang ‘Ole’s at the wheel’ and ‘Ole give us a wave.’ It was that bad. A deflected shot hit the crossbar after 83. EPA -
Diogo Dalot 3 - On for Rashford after 61 as Liverpool fans chanted ‘Ole must stay’ while the speculation about United’s manager skyrocketed. AP -
LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker 8 - The Brazilian foiled Greenwood and Ronaldo in the first half and was a model of composure. He distributed the ball with his usual aplomb. Getty -
Trent Alexander-Arnold 8 - The 22-year-old was supposed to be the target for Ronaldo and Rashford but was comfortable throughout. He ranged forward at will and supplied the cross for Jota’s goal. Getty -
Ibrahima Konate 8 - The Frenchman got sucked into midfield and went to ground early on but he soon found his feet. He was excellent in the air and strong on the ground. EPA -
Virgil van Dijk 8 - The Dutchman was completely at ease. He oozed class. It is hard to believe that Maguire was a more expensive signing. EPA -
Andrew Robertson 8 - The Scot’s passing was a little inconsistent but he worked the line well. He made himself available as an outlet ball and got better as the game went on. Getty -
Jordan Henderson 8 - The captain was efficient in possession and adapted nicely to the defensive midfield role. His pass for Salah’s hat-trick was splendid. Getty -
James Milner 7 - The 35-year-old limped off injured after 27 minutes but his workrate and appetite were illustrated when he was queuing at the back post behind Jota for a chance to score the second goal. Reuters -
Naby Keita 9 - This was the 26-year-old’s best game for the club. He scored, helped set up two goals and broke up United attacks. He was carried off in the 64th minute after a horrible challenge by Pogba. Getty -
Mohamed Salah 10 - The Egyptian’s pass for the opening goal was wonderful but what followed was exceptional. He tormented United and was rewarded with a hat-trick. AFP -
Roberto Firmino 8 - The Brazilian’s movement and intelligence bemused the defence. He helped create the fourth goal before being replaced by Mane in the 77th minute. EPA -
Diogo Jota 8 - The Portuguese caused havoc down the left. He scored the second goal and set up another for Salah. Getty -
SUBS: Curtis Jones 7 - The 20-year-old replaced Milner in the 27th minute and was given some rough treatment by Ronaldo and Fernandes but never let it affect his game. Getty -
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 7 - The 28-year-old joined the action in the 64th minute when Keita was injured. He was effective on and off the ball as Liverpool cruised towards the final whistle. AFP -
Sadio Mane 6 - The Senegalese was introduced for Firmino with 13 minutes left. He was desperate to score and was perhaps a little too greedy. Reuters
Solskjaer is a natural optimist who looked shellshocked. His argument for why he should carry on was little more effective than his tactics. “I do believe I am getting close,” he said. United were runners-up last season, albeit a distant second. But now they have lost three of their last four league games. Liverpool only lost one in 38 when they were runners-up in 2018/19. The standards were altogether higher. A sympathetic Klopp cited Liverpool’s 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa last autumn; freak results can happen but that was a one-off. Perhaps this was not: United lost 6-1 to Tottenham a couple of hours earlier that day. Solskjaer was an escapologist as a player, a master of late goals, and has confounded predictions of his demise before, but a Manchester derby in November has the potential to be equally painful.
Certainly Solskjaer’s strategies involve relying on players to step up. In defence, Raphael Varane is injured and Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw are in wretched form; the captain was rushed back to face Leicester and was unfit and awful. Neither is afforded much protection. The ‘McFred’ partnership of Scott McTominay and Fred were supposed to at least offer the solidity of twin defensive midfielders, but United can’t defend. With Paul Pogba suspended, Nemanja Matic immobile and Donny van de Beek forgotten, there are no alternatives. That Liverpool won 5-0 at Old Trafford with their fourth-choice centre-back, Ibrahima Konate, and minus five injured midfielders, after Pogba hurt Naby Keita, is an illustration of the difference a manager can make. Liverpool have such a manager. United don’t.
