Does Jose Mourinho deserve criticism after Manchester United’s drab Liverpool draw?

Much has been read into Manchester United’s performance at Anfield on Monday night.

United’s set-up, with Herrera and Fellaini sitting deep, Young and Rashford providing extensive cover to full-backs Daley Blind and Antonio Valencia, and only an ineffective Paul Pogba and isolated Zlatan Ibrahimovic offering an attacking threat, was labelled overly negative by most of the media.

Jose Mourinho also made sure to point out that Jurgen Klopp’s team selection meant that Liverpool deviated from the side that had been so free-flowing since the start of the season, pinpointing the midfield pair of Emre Can and Jordan Henderson as evidence.

But with the fallout from United and Liverpool’s drab draw now dissipating, it’s starting to become clear that everything around the game saw reactions enflamed tenfold. That just comes with the territory.

Before the match it was seemingly being suggested that a Liverpool victory would confirm them as the dominant force of the rivalry. Despite the fact that they’ve won only one out of their last five Premier Leagues at Anfield against United and that the season, as well as Jose Mournho’s tenure as boss, is still just eight games old.

Now, after the game, Jose Mourinho’s set-up is being used as prime evidence that he is eschewing the attacking style that Manchester United and its fans demand, and which was specifically used as a reason for Louis Van Gaal’s sacking.

Forget the displays against Leicester City and Stoke City, where Manchester United created dozens of opportunities and finally showed an attacking vigour that they’ve been lacking since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. Attempting to stifle rather than opening up at the home of their bitterest rivals, who before the game were in the ascendancy, and who will undoubtedly be in the battle for the Premier League title and top four, was seen as the definitive Mourinho performance.

The truth probably lays somewhere in between. While the way in which the draw with Liverpool was attained wasn’t pretty on the eye, it made sure that Liverpool didn’t storm ahead of Manchester United, while a defeat would have left Mourinho with the task of clawing back a 6 point advantage to Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool, and with the dejecting sum of 3 defeats in 8 games.

A draw not only halted Jurgen Klopp’s progress at Liverpool, and the growing sense of optimism around Anfield, at least for the time being, but it gave United a platform going into the match at Stamford Bridge next week. But United and Mourinho will have to be more adventurous against Chelsea, while still maintaining the rigid organisation that stunted Liverpool, especially as fans and media are already comparing his approach to Sir Alex.

Unfortunately for Mourinho there’s a nostalgic hew around how Ferguson used to set-up United, as he went into games against Barcelona at the Nou Camp in 2008, Real Madrid in 2013, and Manchester City in 2012 looking not to lose rather than win. But he was able to do just that because of the good-will that his attacking displays against Liverpool in 1994, Barcelona in 1998, Juventus in 1999, and Arsenal in 2009, to name but a few, acquired for him.

Mourinho will be forgiven for Liverpool, but, especially with the club off the pace in the league, he needs to take a risk and build up his own stock of impressive results before resorting to such tactics again. Starting with Chelsea on Sunday.

[Images via Getty Images/Clive Brunskill]