Alan Shearer has taken aim at the state of Liverpool’s defending during their 3-2 loss against Manchester United on Sunday.
Not for the first time this season, the Reds started in abysmal fashion at Old Trafford, finding themselves 2-0 down within 13 minutes.
Though Benjamin Sesko’s goal should not have stood, Liverpool could easily have conceded more, with Shearer in disbelief at just how bad the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson and, latterly, Milos Kerkez were.
Can someone explain why this was allowed to stand?
Apparently United are allowed to handle balls into the net now 😤
Shearer tears Liverpool’s defence to pieces
Liverpool supporters will not have been surprised by their team’s sloppiness at the start of Sunday’s game, having seen it far too many times all season long.
Shearer has been critical of the Reds in recent times, and while analysing the three United goals on Sunday, he said that standards have not improved.
“Their defending I thought was all over the place again,” he told BBC Match of the Day. “And for large parts of this season that’s why they’re in the position they are and are having the season they are.”
Looking back on the three goals, Shearer pointed out which players Liverpool fans should be the most annoyed with.
Goal number 1 – Robertson takes the blame
Looking at Matheus Cunha’s opening goal, Shearer suggested that Andy Robertson’s clearing header back into the danger area was the defining moment.
“I think that’s quite a simple header from Andy Robertson, he should be doing a lot better,” said the Premier League’s all-time top scorer.
Goal number 2 – A litany of errors from Van Dijk, Robertson and Konate
United’s second goal of the day was controversial, and though Liverpool can feel hard done by, they had plenty of chances to stop the situation around Sesko from arising.
Taking the ball back to a simple Alexis Mac Allister giveaway in midfield, Shearer pointed out Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Robertson again as guilty parties.
Which Liverpool player was most to blame for defeat against Manchester United?
“They’re actually all over the place,” he said. “When they lose the ball here [With Mac Allister], Van Dijk gets caught in no-man’s land. He’s not sure whether to go in tight, then all of a sudden he doesn’t want to run in behind and stay with Fernandes, lets him run there. They have so much space.
“Then Konate and Robertson have a look and Robertson can see Fernandes. Fernandes is a fantastic player, but I don’t think he should be winning that ball at the far post, against Andy Robertson and the quality of defender he is.”
Goal number 3 – Kerkez should do better
While Sesko’s goal was arguably the most disappointing from a Liverpool point of view, Kobbie Mainoo’s winner was frustrating in just how avoidable it was.
Here Kerkez seems to be the main focus of Shearer’s annoyance, with the pundit initially highlighting the Hungarian’s last-ditch tackle on Bryan Mbeumo just minutes before.
“Have a look at the back line here, how far Kerkez is behind. Look at that line there! It really is remarkable,” Shearer bemoaned. “To be fair to him he does get across and the ball eventually but again it’s comical defending.
On the goal, the former Newcastle striker claimed that Kerkez let himself down, with another Liverpool left-back beaten at the far post by another Man United forward.
“He [Kerkez] has a look at Amad, he can see him, smallest man on the pitch, chips it in and he heads it at the far post,” he says. “Then Mac Allister gets his clearance all wrong. It’s a very, very clever finish, but Liverpool defensively. Goodness me. So many errors. They’ve been punished for it all season, as they were today.”
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