Liverpool legend Steve Nicol was unhappy with the performances of two key players at Old Trafford.
He criticised both Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane for their performances against Manchester United.
Speaking to ESPN post-game he said. “Sometimes you can get away with it if you have Firmino and Mane at their best.
(Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images)
“But Firmino and Mane were way short of the mark.
“We all talk about Firmino and how he ties everything together, but everything fell apart when the ball went near him.
“Look, not a good day, but they definitely missed Salah.”
The Liverpool icon is certainly right that Firmino and Mane under performed at Old Trafford.
To be fair, the majority of Jurgen Klopp’s team looked poor for large parts of Sunday’s game.
Our wing backs lacked quality, our midfield couldn’t string passes together and our strikers looked toothless.
A bad day at the office against Manchester United at Old Trafford usually means a beating.
Now times have changed, Liverpool emerged with a point and looked the more likely to grab a winner towards the end of the match.
Liverpool under performed for various reasons on Sunday afternoon. To highlight the roles of Firmino and Mane is unfair but understandable.
Such is the high quality of their play that any drop off will be quickly highlighted by pundits such as Steve Nicol
The games are coming thick and fast. Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and the Liverpool team have the perfect chance to bounce back with a mid-week Champions League tie against Genk to look forward to.