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Analysing the Issues Manchester United Need to Resolve Ahead of Liverpool Clash
- Updated: October 9, 2016
Manchester United went into the international break on a disappointing note. The 1-1 draw with Stoke City came at the end of a performance that manager Jose Mourinho described as the best of the season so far, but in the final reckoning, the two dropped points could be crucial.
Those points, and the ones dropped away at Watford and at home to Manchester City, mean Mourinho’s men have little room for error across the rest of the season. And when their Premier League campaign recommences on October 17, a stern test awaits.
Are Manchester United over-reliant on Zlatan Ibrahimovic? The recent numbers would suggest they are… pic.twitter.com/22RPaxWZwW
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) October 3, 2016
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool wobbled as the season began. They beat Arsenal 4-3, but that game should not have ended as close once a 4-1 lead had been established. They stumbled away at Burnley, losing 2-0.
They rebounded from that with a respectable 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur—better than Pep Guardiola’s City managed (a 2-0 defeat)—and have since won four games in succession. They are only three points ahead of United, but the trajectory of their season has been much less erratic.
So what do United need to sort before they roll into Anfield? What are the issues that have affected the side so far? Let’s take a look at what they need to make sure they get right in order to get the result their fans so desperately want.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Form
When considering the season so far as a whole, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s form looks pretty impressive. Including the Community Shield, he has scored six goals in 11 games for United. He has played the full 90 minutes in nine of those games, and he came on as a substitute for around 30 minutes in each of the other two.
However, he only has one goal in his last 470 minutes of football, and that came against Zorya Luhansk. During that time, he has taken 31 shots—plus the efforts he made during his cameo against Northampton Town in the EFL Cup, for which the data is not freely available.
Want the ball back? Don’t pass to Zlatan. Want shots? You’re up, Spurs and Liverpool. Like efficiency? Arsenal and Watford:
