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Liverpool Echo

Sport

John Aldridge

Liverpool 'disagreements' were a positive as Virgil van Dijk had 'worst game in a red shirt'

Liverpool Van Dijk Virgil James Milner Echo Darwin Nunez Diogo Jota Jurgen Klopp

You only have to look at the marks out of ten dished out by the ECHO straight after Liverpool's defeat at the hands of Manchester United to get a feel for the performance. That shows you everything.

When you win games players are getting sevens and eights out of then. It's never a walkover at Old Trafford. We all know the history between the two clubs and the hatred - and it is hatred - all their players say they hate Liverpool. That's the way it is. It's the one that you want to win. For us to really not turn up is so disappointing.

There worst factor for me was that they wanted it more than us and even more galling is that we've given them a platform to build on. All of a sudden their season can turn around. I've seen it happen before. Their lads and dressing room will be buzzing about it. They've got Casemiro coming in and you need a result like they got to turn out it around when the pressure is on you. We didn't want that, you want to keep Man United down where they were because that's where the clubs are against each other currently.

We let ourselves down. I can't believe what I was watching on their first goal, from every perspective. The second goal - I can't believe that it's not offside - but you've just got to take it on the chin.

Milner within his rights to express disapproval on the pitch

There were some disagreements between Liverpool's players during Monday's match but I don't mind them rowing with each other. I quite like the way James Milner had a go at Virgil because the centre-back had his worst game in a red shirt. He knows it and he's got to take a look at himself in the mirror. You don't want people to be happy with others not playing well. You need to have that on the pitch and in the dressing room.

We need to start our season now and quickly before we fall too far away from Manchester City and at this present moment in time it's not looking good. All the pressure in that game was on Manchester United and somehow they've managed to shift it all on us. We're not in the same situation as United obviously, but now all the fingers are pointing at Liverpool and what's going on.

The basis of any good result is a clean sheet

Liverpool have to start to get clean sheets. You can't keep chasing games, we're doing it every game and teams against us are setting up exactly the same. Man United set up like Fulham. So did Crystal Palace. They're all playing long balls over the top into the right-back area. Teams have been doing it for a while but for the three teams we've played so far this season it's worked for them and that tells you we're not on top of it.

We need to stop conceding goals and quickly. I know Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate are not there but I still think with Van Dijk and young Joe Gomez that we can defend a lot better, but we didn't.

Consolidation wiser move with so many players missing

I was surprised that Fabinho didn't start against United. I know that he's not played that well in the last couple of games, but he's got to get going somewhere and there's no better place than Old Trafford. Personally I would have played him, Milner and Jordan Henderson for a game like that with their experience. That's no disrespect to young Harvey Elliott.

The fact that were are conceding goals and we're not scoring as many goals as we should, is as good as reason as any to maybe consolidate that area and try and get a 1-0. But at the same time, when you've lost Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez, there's a big gap, but to no longer have Sadio Mane as well, that's huge. It's a massive gap to fill.

Last season we had Divock Origi or Taki Minamino to come in, so without all of them we're lightweight up front. Bobby (Firmino) is never going to score you more than 10 league goals this season. Luis Diaz - who we all love - he's maybe only going to get you 10 a season as well. So there's a lot of pressure on Mo (Salah), Jota and Nunez to really pile the goals on. But while some of those players are missing, we're going to struggle to get goals.

It's hard to marry it all up, but the one thing now is that we have to get a clean sheet against Bournemouth and get across the line. They're no mugs. They'll set up the same as the other teams before them and try and hit us with a bit of pace. If they were to get an early goal then we could struggle at the moment, they way we are.

We need a start. We need to defend well and really want a win to start our season off.

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