Merseyside derby: Jan Kluitenberg on fierce battles with Liverpool and a late Mane winner

Al Jazira's head of conditioning recalls intense rivalry from his time at Everton

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  EVERTON RATINGS: Jordan Pickford – 5. The goalkeeper was called into action to keep down the score during Liverpool’s spellbinding opening period. He had a couple of miscommunications with his defenders and should have done better for Jota’s goal. PA

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  Seamus Coleman – 2. The Irishman’s massive error allowed Salah to score the third goal which effectively took Everton out of the game. It was the low point of a night the full-back would like to forget. Getty Images

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  Ben Godfrey – 4. The 23-year-old gave away possession too often. He made a splendid sliding block to deny Mane but he was not up to the task of putting a rein on the Liverpool front three. AFP

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  Michael Keane – 4. The centre-back did not have the pace or the nous to close down Liverpool’s attack. His midfielders offered him little help. AFP

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  Lucas Digne – 3. The Frenchman was caught in a horrible position for the second goal and had no answer for Salah. He made the odd raid forward but none of them paid off. AFP

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  Allan – 2. The Brazilian never landed a blow on the Liverpool midfield. His really poor effort to stop Jota scoring summed up his performance. Reuters

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  Abdoulaye Doucoure – 3. The Frenchman looked static in the face of his opponents’ crisp passing. He was wasteful in possession, too. Reuters

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  Andros Townsend – 3. The winger was slack on the ball from the start and had little influence on the match. He was booked for diving and replaced by Delph with 17 minutes to go. Reuters

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  Demarai Gray – 6. The winger was his team’s only real attacking threat and took his goal in style. On the downside, he gave Coleman an awkward pass that was the catalyst for the Irishman’s game-turning blunder. He was replaced by Tosun with five minutes to go. Getty Images

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  Richarlison – 4. The Brazilian was offered hardly any service and found himself isolated. His ball to Gray set up Everton’s goal but he was only intermittently involved. Reuters

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  Salomon Rondon – 6. The Venezuelan had his best game in an Everton shirt. He battled hard and made himself available for the ball until he limped off in the 59th minute to be replaced by Gordon. Getty Images

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  SUB: Anthony Gordon – 5. The 20-year-old joined the action in the 59th minute for Rondon and was subjected to some rough treatment. He kept trying even though the game had slipped away. Getty Images

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  SUB: Fabian Delph – 5. The 32-year-old was introduced in place of Townsend in the 73rd minute. There was nothing he could do to change the course of the match. AFP

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  SUB: Cenk Tosun – 4. The Turk saw his first action of the season when he came on for Gray in the 85th minute. He will at least be grateful to get back on the pitch. AFP

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  LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker – 6. The Brazilian was left exposed for Gray’s goal but made a good effort to stop the shot. He was calm with the ball at his feet on a quiet night when his concentration might have wandered. Getty Images

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  Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7. The 23-year-old was prominent during his team’s early blitz and tested Pickford with a shot. He was quieter in the second half but remained efficient at both ends. AFP

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  Joel Matip – 7. The centre-back missed a free header from a corner in the second minute but was superb in the air and on the floor during Everton’s spell of pressure. AFP

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  Virgil van Dijk – 7. The Dutchman found Rondon a handful but just edged the physical contest. He looks closer to his best with every game. Reuters

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  Andrew Robertson – 8. The Scot contributed to three of the goals and ranged forward with glee. He did not allow Townsend a foothold in the game. Reuters

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  Fabinho – 7. The Brazilian did not let Everton establish a rhythm in the middle of the park. He enjoyed using the available space to get forward. Reuters

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  Thiago Alcantara – 7. The 30-year-old was composed in possession and not shy of putting a foot in on an opponent when necessary. He gave way for Milner with 15 minutes left. Getty Images

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  Jordan Henderson – 9. The captain gets better as he gets older. Not only did he do the dirty work but he had moments that recalled his youthful days as a carefree winger. He opened the scoring and was superb until he was replaced by Oxlade-Chamberlain with seven minutes left. Getty Images

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  Mohamed Salah – 9. The Egyptian should have scored in the third minute but did not let the disappointment affect him. His two goals showed his range of skills, the first a brilliant shot into the far corner of the net and the second a run from the halfway line and a clinical finish. Getty Images

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  Diogo Jota – 7. The Portuguese’s movement and intelligence troubled the defence. When he got his chance, he left Allan rooted to the spot and scored with aplomb. He was substituted for Minamino with two minutes left. PA

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  Sadio Mane – 7. The Senegalese’s relentless effort kept the defence off kilter. He was dangerous on the ball and created space for his teammates. PA

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  SUB: James Milner – 6. The 35-year-old joined the action for Thiago in the 75th minute and made sure that his team were allowed to run down the clock without any alarms. Getty Images

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  SUB: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 6. The midfielder came on for Henderson with seven minutes to go. He had a couple of nice touches in his short cameo. PA

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  SUB: Takumi Minamino – 5. The Japanese was allowed to stretch his legs for the final two minutes when Jota departed. He kept busy as the game dribbled to its end. Getty Images

Few fixtures divide loyalties quite like a Merseyside derby. At least twice a season, families become split and friendships are placed on hold whenever Liverpool and Everton do battle.

Conditioning coach Jan Kluitenberg learnt at first-hand the perils of having companions behind enemy lines in this biannual duel for points and bragging rights.

During a 16-month spell with Everton, Al Jazira’s current head of conditioning was afforded a touchline view of Sadio Mane pouncing in the 94th minute to win a cagey derby encounter for Jurgen Klopp’s side in December 2016.

The Senegalese forward was already familiar to Kluitenberg from their time together at Southampton.

That intimate knowledge, just months before finding themselves on opposing sides of Stanley Park, made Mane’s late sucker-punch, an already bitter pill for his former fitness coach, even more difficult to stomach.

“Of course I remember the goal, very late in the game,” Kluitenberg said.

“We didn't play that bad, I think. But before the game, Mane already was always a little bit smiling and a funny boy. He said, 'It would be nice if I score one goal against you'.

“Typically, sometimes things happen in football like this. He scored and we were very disappointed. I was also very disappointed, of course, for the fans. It was really difficult to shake his hand, but we did.

“You need to take your loss but it felt maybe a little bit more edgy because we had a great time with him, and the fans expect a lot more from us against Liverpool.”

Everton fitness coach Jan Kluitenberg during a Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in 2017. Getty

Kluitenberg, 59, may be observing Sunday’s 240th showdown at Anfield from a distance but he does so with keen interest.

His affection for Everton and its supporters remains strong despite the rapid decline of Ronald Koeman’s tenure, barely a year after Mane had snatched the spoils.

But it is another of Kluitenberg’s erstwhile colleagues from the south coast who also attracts his attention in Virgil van Dijk.

The Netherlands defender, who will face Mane’s Senegal in November’s World Cup opener, suffered a season-ending knee injury in last season’s Goodison stalemate after a collision with Toffees’ goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Liverpool’s Premier League title defence unravelled as an indirect consequence of his absence, while the Netherlands failed to progress beyond the group stage at Euro 2020.

Liverpool 4 Manchester United 0 - player ratings

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  LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker – 7. The Brazilian made a double save from Rashford and Elanga during Liverpool’s flat period in the second half. He gave the team the wake-up call they needed. EPA

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  Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7. The 23-year-old rampaged forward in the first half. Sancho’s presence after the break meant he had to be more cautious, but he oozed class. Getty

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  Joel Matip – 7. The 30-year-old was untroubled by United’s forwards. His contribution to the second goal showed how good he is with the ball at his feet. Reuters

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  Virgil van Dijk – 7. The Dutchman seemed uncertain about Rashford’s positions at times in the first half but was strong in the air and in the tackle. His passing was effective. AP

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  Andrew Robertson – 8. The Scot was in fine fettle down the left, defending with characteristic steeliness and attacking with intent. He was a catalyst for the third goal and set up the fourth. AFP

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  Jordan Henderson – 7. The captain was the king of second balls in the first half, pouncing when possession was in question. He tired a little after the break but retained his appetite for work. EPA

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  Fabinho – 8. The Brazilian choked off any United creativity and ensured Fernandes was kept out of the game. He also got into shooting areas before being withdrawn for Milner with four minutes left. Reuters

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  Thiago Alcantara – 9. The 31-year-old ran the match and was particularly dominant in the first half. His passing was outstanding until he made way for Keita with 10 minutes to go. Getty

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  Mohamed Salah – 9. The Egyptian set up the opening goal and scored the second and the fourth. The United defence was reduced to chaos every time the ball came near the striker. Reuters

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  Sadio Mane – 9. The pass that the Senegalese sent to Salah for the second goal was a thing of beauty. He scored the third with a shot that looked almost casual but was wonderfully precise. AP

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  Luis Diaz – 9. The Colombian scored the first goal, was involved in the second and made the third in another splendid outing. He gave way for Jota with 21 minutes left. EPA

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  SUBS: Diogo Jota – 7. The Portuguese replaced Diaz in the 70th minute and his fresh legs brought new fear for the defence. He laid on Salah’s second goal. AP

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  Naby Keita – 7. The Guinean joined the game in the 80th minute for Thiago. He was eager – perhaps too much so, as he could have seen red for a stamp on Lingard. PA

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  James Milner – 7. The 36-year-old entered the fray with four minutes to go for Fabinho. As usual, he crammed a lot of action into his cameo and put himself about. AP

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  MANCHESTER UNITED RATINGS: David de Gea 5. It was always going to be a difficult night for the Spaniard. And how it came from Liverpool’s excellent front three, who all scored and assisted goals. AP

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  Victor Lindelof 4. Difficult night in a back three alongside Jones and Maguire. Hit some promising long balls. Way off the level of players he was up against. Diaz was faster than him. EPA

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  Phil Jones 3. What could we expect from a player who doesn’t start and is then thrown in against a side chasing the quadruple this season? What we expected is what we saw. Withdrawn at half time. AFP

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  Harry Maguire 3. Another poor performance by the much-maligned United captain. Pulled out of position by a Liverpool side who drew United out of their deep formation. Reuters

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  Aaron Wan-Bissaka 3. Back in the team in an ultra-defensive formation with five defenders, he was continually exploited by Liverpool and was no match for the superior players like Diaz and the superb Thiago. EPA

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  Diogo Dalot 3. Switched from the left to the right to try and get to grips with Liverpool. Couldn’t. Looked out of his depth. Reuters

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  Nemanja Matic 3. When the Serb passed the ball back to concede a corner after 18 minutes, it summed up United’s inept start. Like asking a man to hold the sea back. He couldn’t have done it at his peak, he certainly can’t do it now. Reuters

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  Paul Pogba NA. Walked off soon after Liverpool went ahead on four minutes. Not worthy of a mark. Most United fans would not be concerned if they never saw him wear the shirt of their team for years. AP

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  Bruno Fernandes 2. Gave the ball away too much. Hit a 58th minute free-kick over the wall to nobody. Booked. Deeply frustrated. Apologised to the fans after. It’s not good enough. EPA

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  Anthony Elanga 3. Started up front before moving towards the right. A boy against men. Almost no threat at all to Liverpool. Getty

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  Marcus Rashford 2. Little service with such a defensive formation and struggled to read the balls which came his way. Ran at the Liverpool defenders with limited effect. Had a good chance when Liverpool were leading 2-0. Getty

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  SUBS Jesse Lingard 4. On for Pogba. Battled but making a house from jelly would have been easier for him. Struggled to make the ball stick to his feet. One of many set to leave after this season. EPA

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  Jadon Sancho 5. On for Jones at half time. Saw more of the ball than his teammates as United enjoyed their best spell after the break. AP

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  Hannibal Mejbri 6. Youngster gave more effort in the final minutes than most of his teammates did for the entire match. He’s entering the team at one of the lowest moments in their modern history. Getty

As a proud Dutchman, who also worked with Van Dijk for their national team, Kluitenberg has been impressed by the speed with which he has reacclimatised for club and country.

“If you come back from an ACL you are, let's say, nine months out,” he said.

“Then you need to make steps well. I know the medical staff at Liverpool [are] high quality and the more games you play on the pitch, you should be ready.

“But I think also if you play the games, you need some time to come back. He's showed at Liverpool and with the national team that he is back on the level where he was.”

Everton return to their one-time home Anfield this weekend with memories of last February’s long-awaited victory there fresh in the mind but now superseded by a target of top-flight survival.

That bid is likely to go down to the wire with Frank Lampard’s side facing an unenviable run-in against opponents at both extremes of the Premier League table.