Manchester United were beaten 3-1 by Liverpool and Jose Mourinho confessed his side had no answer to the Reds' pace and aggression.
Jose Mourinho admitted he was impressed by the pace and aggression of Liverpool and highlighted Andrew Robertson's performance after Manchester United were beaten by the league-leaders
A Xherdan Shaqiri double inside the final 17 minutes saw Liverpool return to the top of the Premier League table by defeating bitter rivals United 3-1 at Anfield on Sunday.
Alisson's first-half howler gifted Jesse Lingard and United an unlikely equaliser after Sadio Mane had put Liverpool ahead, but the tenacious Reds were not to be denied their first league victory over United since 2014 thanks to substitute Shaqiri.
Liverpool moved 19 points clear of sixth-placed United and Mourinho confessed his embattled team had no answer for the Reds' pace and aggression on Merseyside – singling out left-back Robertson.
"The players gave everything, and when the players give everything I am never frustrated towards them," Mourinho said during his post-match news conference. "I have a good feeling towards them. They play in relation to their qualities, the same way Liverpool play in relation to their qualities.
"They are fast, they are intense, they are aggressive, they are physical, they are objective. They play 200 miles per hour with and without the ball. I am still tired just looking at Robertson! He makes 100 metre sprints per minute, absolutely incredible, and these are qualities.
"When the game was really intense in the first 20-25 minutes, it was difficult for us to cope with it. In the second half when the game slowed down, when we were more compact and had more time to have the ball and play, we were in a good position in the game; 1-1 with 25 minutes to go and with some semi-dangerous approaches in the box.
"It's hard to lose in the moment where the game was dying, and when [Virgil] Van Dijk, Fabinho, [Dejan] Lovren, they were coming with the ball and couldn't find space, they had to shoot from 30 metres. Shots, easy for David [de Gea], shots in the stands, and it is in exactly that moment, when we were completely in control, that we lose the game. Two shots that David saves, easy shots, but because of the bounce, they were goals.
"I would say that Liverpool deserved the victory, but it's hard for my players to work hard like they did, and to lose in exactly the moment when we didn't believe we would lose.
"If you tell me in the first 25 minutes we are going to lose, I would say yes it looks so. But the moment we lost the game was the moment we didn't believe we would lose."
emondorock
97
He says they give their best but they are meant to be some of the highest paid players with abundent of talent its just not good enough. Not one man u player can step up and change the game like so many others before them. Iam so dissapointed in man u they are just not worth watching antmore.
Red_devil4eva
90
Mourinho was right. Liverpool rightfully should win. Man Utd lack the aggression and hunger to win. We probably need alot of time to rebuild the real Man Utd. As a Man Utd fan for 20 over years, I really do not have any expectations for the current team. Given the current squad, don't think of top 6. It'll be a blessing if Man Utd remain in top 8. Players are old now.. Matic, Young, smalling and valencia. They lack the pace to compete at high level. Jones, Lindelof and Lukaku are really rubbish. Not trying to find reason for the this lost, but we will be seeing similar results for the rest of the season.
AkuaAbigail
69
I like the last paragraph where is said "If you tell me in the first 25 minutes we are going to lose, I would say yes it looks so. But the moment we lost the game was the moment we didn't believe we would lose." 😀He knew all this while but he didn't want to admit it that Liverpool is too good. He should prepare for more in the upcoming seasons if he is to stay at United. #LFC #YNWA
Zihbdiry
66
this is not because players at old I don't think so, it's depend to the tackatic give to the players from coach,even the time for Alex there was old players like,Ferdinand, Gigs,Scools,Garry Novel Owen etc but they won aol.
mbudzeni
61
Jose resigning won't solve everything. This team is just full of average players who can't make top 4. The coach has to build his own team and get rid of van gaal, David moyes players and build his own team. Players who can play at a high level and should remain are:, Pogba, Rashford, Martial, Bailey, Smalling, Shaw, de gea and darlot
SnrSeries
54
Wait....hu should put dat aggression into de players.... people will be here defending Mourinho and blaming pogba....if Paul had play today.... everyone will be blaming him....look....if u want aggression....it will depend on how u train....u dnt expect the players to hv all the qualities....else we wouldn't need a manager.....if the players have to know everything....den what's de essence of the manager?..... Mourinho is jst not finding a way out.....this same players will perform differently under different management..... Southampton sacked their manager nd dey scored Arsenal hu were on a 22 game unbeaten..... Come on.....Van Djik wasn't all yhat world class wen Liverpool splashed 75m on him.......buh Klopp has made him obe of de best in de world in his position.... Mourinho has failed....he should stop talking nd find a way out of this shameful moment....else he should jst go