Solskjaer hits back claims Man Utd were too defensive at Liverpool as Klopp vows to play strong team in FA Cup rematch
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has hit back at claims Manchester United were too conservative in last weekend’s stalemate at Anfield.
The Red Devils were criticised for rarely troubling Liverpool’s makeshift defensive pairing of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.
Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba had the best chances late in the game but were denied by Alisson.
And Solskjaer insists his tactics were not to blame as he prepares for a second go at the Reds in Sunday’s FA Cup clash.
The United boss said: “We didn’t go out there to drop deep and try to soak up the pressure. We attacked every time we got the ball, maybe too much.
“We kept giving it away, that was the challenge. We went forward too quickly. The thought that we weren’t attacking, for me I don’t understand that one.
“It’s the quality of what we did, we need to do better. We tried to press them high. It’s not easy, they played well, they played their way out of our press. They had five midfielders out there to play out plus a ‘keeper who is very capable.
“When you look back at it, I think it was a good game by the two teams. We played against a top Liverpool team.
“Yeah, Van Dijk is not there but everyone’s got an injury or two here or there. I was very pleased with the performance when I looked at it after.”
United are bang in form in stark contrast to Liverpool.
The Premier League champs followed up the stalemate with a shock 1-0 defeat to Burnley – their first home loss in 68 games.
Van Dijk’s absence is one of a number of injury problems Jurgen Klopp has to deal with.
They also have a punishing fixture schedule.
But Klopp has vowed to name a strong XI, with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino set to return.
The Liverpool boss said: “The game will be decided that night and we want to win the game, so that is how we will make the line-up.
“It’s a different competition and we want to go through and for that we have to play really well. United in a really good moment, we have to be ready.”
Liverpool head to Old Trafford having found the net in just one of their last five games – the third-round win over Aston Villa’s kids.
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And Klopp added: “Confidence is nothing naturally given and some things have to work out so that you can build confidence and things didn’t work out, at least in the final third in the last few games.
“It’s not that it didn’t disappear and we can’t find it, we have to work and that is what you do. We didn’t get the results we wanted for a few weeks, parts of the game were good enough and parts were not. We have to improve the others.
“I like to say and see that in each bad situation there is a chance for something and I see it that way but honestly I will not do that here now. I spoke to my players last night, I will today and it is nothing for a press conference, what I will say to them.”
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