Manchester United’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool showcased the impact of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte in midfield. The duo provided energy, speed, and defensive stability, making four tackles each — the joint-most on the pitch — and effectively disrupting Liverpool’s rhythm.
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One of the memes that went viral after Manchester United held Liverpool to a thrilling 2-2 draw in the Premier League on Sunday joked that the Red Devils have “99 problems, but spoiling their arch-rival’s party ain’t one.” Considering United entered the derby after four consecutive defeats to Tottenham, Bournemouth, Wolves, and Newcastle, it’s hard to argue with the sentiment.
Currently 13th in the table with 23 points from 23 matches, United’s struggles have persisted despite a managerial change, with Ruben Amorim replacing Erik ten Hag. However, at Anfield, against the league leaders, Manchester United
looked like a completely different beast.
Despite playing away from home, United looked like a better organized team, and that helped in frustrating Liverpool and their marauding forwards in the match by affecting their momentum. Amorim had said before the game that an extra two days of training could help his side. “We have had more time to train, two days in a row. I think that can help us,” the Portuguese said. And the impact was quite visible.
Lisandro Martinez opened the scoring for United in the 52nd minute before Cody Gakpo equalised in the 59th minute and Mohamed Salah put Liverpool 2-1 ahead with a penalty goal in the 70th. Amad Diallo, however, earned Manchester United a point by firing in the final goal of the match in the 80th minute.
Mainoo and Ugarte make a case for regular start
Nonetheless, it was United’s best performance under Amorim and while the goalscorers have been in the headlines over the last two days, we should not forget the role Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte played from central midfield.
Man United entered the match with a clear plan of direct football and that was executed perfectly by Mainoo and Ugarte who both made four tackles each, the joint-most of any player on the pitch. They were highly influential in disturbing Liverpool midfielders’ rhythm.
This marked a significant improvement over the previous match, where Casemiro and Christian Eriksen struggled against Newcastle. Mainoo and Ugarte brought the speed and stamina needed to address the vulnerabilities that can arise in a flat two-man central midfield.
This also indicates that Mainoo and Ugarte should be the core of United’s midfield going forward in teh ongoing season as they seem to be perfectly in tune with Amorim’s season.
What Amorim said after Liverpool draw
“I want to see my team play so much better, but I think the most important thing to address today is the mentality. That is the key for everything. Today we were a different team, not because of the system, not because of the technical aspect of the game [or] the tactical aspect of the game.
“We face the competition in the way that we are supposed to face every day. Training and match. It doesn’t matter the place, the opponents, we need to face them every day like that,” Amorim said in the press conference.
United’s next match is an FA Cup third round game against Arsenal at the Emirates on 12 January.