Mourinho reacts to Liverpool 0 United 0
Jose Mourinho has described Manchester United’s 0-0 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday afternoon as “a positive point”.
The Reds kept another clean sheet and maintained our unbeaten run in the Premier League by playing out a goalless draw against Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Here is what the manager, Mourinho, had to say in his post-match interview with Sky Sports and in his press conference on Merseyside…
REFLECTING ON THE GAME
“In the first half, we had the ball and were always compact. We had a few shots in the second half. They played with a very strong midfield of [Emre] Can, [Georginio] Wijnaldum and [Jordan] Henderson for 90 minutes but, in the second half, I had no-one on the bench to change the direction of the game.
"I thought they were afraid of our counter attack. I just tried to improve in attacking areas where I could surprise them, but they kept a strong organisation in midfield. I was waiting for him [Jurgen Klopp] to break the play a bit more. But he didn’t let it break. A point, in this long marathon? A point at Anfield is OK.”
"The second half was like a game of chess, but my opponent did not open the door for me to win the game. It's a positive point."
FEW OPTIONS ON THE BENCH
“The opposition was good today, but we played our game. In the first half, we had a couple of very good chances and good control of the game. In the second half, [Nemanja] Matic tired and I had no solutions on the bench. I tried with my substitutions to make us more dynamic in attack but, in reality, we lost power and energy and control in midfield.”
THE APPROACH FROM BOTH TEAMS
“I think he [Klopp] did well. He didn’t let the game break. I think [Jesse] Lingard and [Marcus] Rashford were waiting for the game to break but it did not. I think they were very good team from a defensive point of view, much pressing. The only chance I had to change the direction of the game was to bring players on with speed and maybe, they are going to change their formation but they didn’t. The second half was like a game of chess but my opponent didn’t open the door for me to win the game.”
"It was a good performance that was worthy of three points. We were unlucky in at least three situations - of course the big chance was when De Gea made the save."
TACTICAL INSIGHT
“We came for three points but in the second half we felt it difficult to do that with the match and the dynamic it had. I was waiting for Jurgen to change to go more attacking but he kept the three strong midfield players all the time and he had control. I had only Herrera and Matic.
"When I brought on Rashford and Lingard, I expected him [Klopp] to change but he kept the three which means his midfield was stronger today. At times, I was waiting for my team to do something but I couldn’t do anything with no midfielder on the bench. It was a game of chess in the second half.”