Former Reds striker John Aldridge has turned Liverpool’s below-par performance against Manchester United on Monday night into a positive for the players to take forward with them.
In his Liverpool Echo column, he said: “While United’s players performed to their standard, we didn’t really perform to ours, and that is another encouraging sign.”
“If there’s one thing Monday’s Anfield stalemate demonstrated, it’s that Manchester United acknowledge they are behind Liverpool at present.”
SEE MORE:
Twitter reacts as requests for first team return for Danny Ings intensify
Liverpool were a shade of the exciting and imposing unit that they have been in previous games this season.
There was no intensity in the first half and nobody looked confident on the ball or even as though they wanted the ball in the first place.
The idea that we failed to come anywhere near to matching the performance levels we have achieved in recent weeks has to be seen as a positive.
Our defence stood strong against United, when they did decide to make a rare attack, and we controlled the ball for large periods of the game.
Mourinho’s fearful tactics were a testament to our goal-scoring prowess and, in fact, recognised that we are currently a much more polished side than they are.
The fact we are frustrated by Monday’s stalemate as well as the draw away to high flyers Tottenham, demonstrates the belief circulating around the club that we can have a good year.