Contrary to what the headline writers may say, Liverpool’s 4-1 victory at Old Trafford was nothing more than their usual turgid fare. The scoreline flatters to deceive: in actual fact the Scousers were second best for most of the game.
Liverpool just don't know how to play attacking football. Other than the probing brilliance of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, they offer little going forward.
This is highlighted by the fact that they have drawn 10 games in the league this season. Against weaker sides, who themselves sit back, Liverpool are short of ideas - playing Dirk Kuyt on the right wing epitomises this.
It takes a team coming at them and trying to attack for Liverpool to shine. When this happens Kuyt can be a useful player as his work-rate and tracking back negate his attacking impotency.
Real Madrid came to Anfield needing a win and the ever probing Manchester United played their own game at home. Consequently, Liverpool were able to sit back, soak up pressure and hit them both on the counter attack - a style of football that has served them so well in Europe but aesthetically equates to s**t on a stick.
Against Manchester United they spent much of the game on the back foot and it was their strength and organisation, combined with their two world-class attacking talents, that won them the game.
What set Liverpool apart from Chelsea, who crumbled in Manchester, was that they showed some stomach for the fight and were clinical in front of goal.
Chelsea’s won only 41% of their tackles against Manchester United when they visited Old Trafford in January, and they were promptly overrun.
Contrast that to the tackles that Liverpool made. They won 65%, but crucially most were won in deeper lying positions - the team having sat back and invited Manchester United on to them. Clearly no attacking master-class.
Rafa Benitez’s side may be flying high having scored four goals against both Real Madrid and Manchester United in the past week, but they’d do well to remember that you can’t polish a turd.