Jose Mourinho must have loved this. After a week of getting it in the neck from the Liverpool Boot Room for going direct, the Manchester United manager surely would’ve passed comment to his staff watching the early game on Saturday.
Because right there at Anfield, with his Liverpool chasing a late equaliser against Swansea City, Jurgen Klopp threw on Joel Matip. All 6ft 5in of him. A defender to play up front as Klopp’s team went route one to rescue the game.
Now, just as a reminder, there wasn’t only Klopp who felt the need to take issue with Mourinho’s tactics last Sunday. John Aldridge claimed the Portuguese “lacked class” and was turning United “into Wimbledon”. Erm, what do you say now Aldo?
Klopp shouldn’t be chastised today. Okay, he’s a hypocrite. And so are those connected to Liverpool whom sided with the German. But against Swansea, just as Mourinho has done several times this season, Klopp finally discovered a Plan B. Chasing the game. Realising what his team were doing was not working. He went direct. Back to front. It was no climb down or surrender. It was simply a manager changing his system and going with something different.
Shock horror. Maybe, just maybe, Klopp, as he railed against Mourinho last week, actually learned something from the old man. That you do need a Plan B to succeed in England. That sticking to your playing principles only gets you so far in the most competitive league in the world.
The criticism from Klopp, Aldridge et al of Mourinho was ridiculous. There’s no season ticket holder at Old Trafford this term who, with hand on heart, could complain about the entertainment dished up by Mourinho’s United. After three years of dross, Mourinho – and many connected to United claimed it wouldn’t happen – has his team playing like the United of old. But, significantly, the manager is also practical enough to resort to his Plan B – usually in the form of Marouane Fellaini – if things aren’t working.
That’s all it is. A Plan B. Another way to break down a defence. It “doesn’t lack class”. It isn’t a “throwback” to the “days of Wimbledon”. It’s about Mourinho outthinking his opponent. As he did last Sunday against Klopp. And confirmation for the United manager’s approach arrived on Saturday at Anfield. For all the wailing from Klopp during the week, nothing changed. Last week it was Fellaini Liverpool couldn’t handle. On Saturday it was the presence and power of Fernando Llorente. Oh, and in the post-match, Paul Clement, the Swans manager, didn’t once complain about Klopp going route one chasing a third Liverpool goal…
Mourinho would’ve loved that. It was probably the highlight of his day. Yeah, Wayne Rooney’s record breaking goal will have pleased the manager. But Stoke City were there for the taking. It was another frustrating afternoon for the visiting team. Chance after chance was created. Jesse Lingard hit the crossbar. But it needed a set-piece special from Rooney for United to leave the Brit with a point.
“I always consider the January market as an emergency one,” stated Mourinho on Friday, “where you can try to resolve some problems or give a little boost to the team for the rest of the season.
“It’s not an easy market, I have to admit that.”
And United do have problems. Though you can understand Mourinho hesitating this month. Where do you pinpoint his team’s most glaring weakness? A mobile, ball-winning midfielder? A recognised left-back? A finisher in the mould of Chicharito? You could make a case for any number of positions, though would struggle to argue it was an “emergency” situation.
What Mourinho didn’t do in that pre-match presser was rule out buying this month. A “little boost”. A “problem resolved”. He’s open to it.
It’s that Plan B approach again. And with everything so tight at the top this season, loosening his principles and buying this month could be the difference between United finishing in the top four or missing out.