Liverpool are having defensive difficulties and that is costing them points.
After eight league games last season, they had only conceded three goals, none from set pieces, and had kept a clean sheet on five occasions.
So far, they have scored 11 goals, five of which have come from set pieces, and have kept two clean sheets.
“It’s a bit disjointed,” said former Premier League striker Troy Deeney, who agreed with fellow Match of the Day pundit Shay, given the Reds’ summer recruitment was heavy.
The former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper said it is also the forward players’ role to defend because “you defend from the front”, but that is difficult when Arne Slot does not yet know his starting line-up.
Liverpool’s fragility meant that Manchester United’s front three, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount, were able to use their pace to their advantage and cause problems for Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
“It was probably one of the only Liverpool games I watched and I thought Van Dijk looked nervous, especially in the first half,” former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast.
“It’s because he has to cover for Milos Kerkez, who I think has to leave the team right now. “He’s struggling and doesn’t look like he can wear that Liverpool shirt at the moment.
“love [Diallo] and Mbeumo were causing him a lot of problems on that side.
“It was actually Konate who rescued Van Dijk, something that doesn’t happen often. He was Liverpool’s best defender in this match.”
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