THE NOTEBOOK: Why Man United ditched green shirts for Anfield clash

THE NOTEBOOK: Liverpool condemn attack on Man United team bus, it’s not quite the day Rory McIlroy hoped for… and why Erik Ten Hag’s side wore white shirts for Anfield clash

  • Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United: Erik ten Hag’s side survive Anfield trip 
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  • CHRIS SUTTON: Erik ten Hag was WRONG to say Man United played well after their abysmal Champions League exit… is he losing credibility? It’s All Kicking Off

Liverpool missed out on reclaiming top spot when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Manchester United at Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday, ending their perfect home record this season.

Juergen Klopp’s side had been knocked out of first place by Arsenal earlier on Sunday and would have recaptured a place at the summit with a win but lacked their usual goal threat.

A United side short of confidence after a miserable week held on grimly for their point although they have now scored just once in their last eight league visits to Liverpool.

The closest the hosts came to scoring was a Trent Alexander-Arnold shot narrowly wide midway through the second half, while Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund had United’s best chance.

Mail Sport’s Lewis Steele takes you through the things you might have missed.

A bottle was thrown at the Man United team bus as it’s made its way to Anfield

United and Liverpool shared a point after their goalless draw on Sunday afternoon

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Liverpool condemn attack

Liverpool have condemned a thug who threw a glass bottle of beer at the Manchester United team bus upon its arrival at Anfield. The man foolishly grassed on himself by posting a video on social media of the event.

‘Liverpool Football Club utterly condemns the actions that led to damage being caused to the Manchester United team bus during its arrival at Anfield this afternoon,’ read a club statement. ‘We are aware of footage of the incident circulating online.

‘And (we) are working with Merseyside Police to fully investigate and identify those responsible. Any individuals found guilty of this reprehensible behaviour will also face the full force of the club’s sanction process.’

Honour for Dalglish

Liverpool and Scotland legend Sir Kenny Dalglish says it is ‘truly an hour’ to be awarded the Lifetime Achievement gong at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year this week.

Dalglish, 72, won eight league titles at Liverpool as a player and manager, after joining from Celtic in 1977. He has a record 102 caps for Scotland at international level, and also led Blackburn Rovers to the Premier League title as a manager in 1994-95.

‘Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award is truly an honour,’ he said. ‘I have always believed in the importance of team success, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of the players I’ve played with, people I’ve worked for and the supporters that stood by me, this is for them.’

Meanwhile, former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright will step down from his role as a pundit on Match of the Day. The 60-year-old started his punditry work in 1997 and said: ‘I feel very privileged to have had such an incredible run on the most iconic football show in the world.’

Kenny Dalglish has been awarded the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year lifetime achievement accolade

United ditch green shirts

Both teams wore rare kits in this fixture. Liverpool sported a one-off, special-edition shirt with the ‘Futuremakers’ logo, which is the charity arm of principal club partner Standard Chartered. All kits will be auctioned to raise money for charity.

As reported in Liverpool Confidential, a column on all things Reds which you can read on MailOnline on Mondays, Jurgen Klopp’s side donned the shirts and signed them after to raise money as part of the bank’s global initiative to fight economic inequality.

Liverpool’s women’s team also wore the shirts in their 1-1 draw with Bristol City last weekend. Star player Missy Bo Kearns’ shirt has a latest bid of £500 with another week remaining on the auction.

There was also a victory for the colour-blind community as Manchester United wore a white away strip. Erik ten Hag’s side have regularly sported green away jerseys this season, but switched to white here after complaints in a previous trip to Anfield.

Many colour-blind people were unhappy when United wore a green kit at Liverpool in 2021. According to a survey, one in 12 men and 1 in 200 women were unable to distinguish between the two sets of players on the pitch in that fixture.

Man United wore a white away strip following complaints about a green jersey in 2021

Liverpool miss out

In March, Liverpool had 18 shots in this fixture and won 7-0. Here, they had 34 shots and drew 0-0. Funny old game, football. This was Liverpool’s most shots in a game they have not scored since Opta’s data began and, overall, the most by any team since United themselves in 2016.

Meanwhile, this was the first Premier League game at Anfield in which Mohamed Salah neither scored or assisted since January against Chelsea, having had a direct hand in at least one goal in each of his previous 16 home games in the competition.

Fernandes not missed 

Erik ten Hag will get some criticism for his negative tactics but Liverpool would have wiped the floor with his side otherwise. There was no whingeing, no players breaking from the game-plan and no silly mistakes.

There was also no Bruno Fernandes. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? The double-pivot of Kobbie Mainoo and Sofyan Amrabat, supplemented by the energy of Scott McTominay, made United hard to break down in the middle.

Mainoo and Garnacho playing together was the first time United have started two teenagers against Liverpool since 2005, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ten Hag said on Mainoo, from Stockport: ‘If you are good enough, you are old enough.’

Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton with Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher before the match

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

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Disappointment for McIlroy

It wasn’t quite the day out Rory McIlroy had hoped for. 

The golfer was at Anfield alongside Tyrrell Hatton with the Ryder Cup trophy, and told Sky Sports: ‘The last time I was here was when John O’Shea scored the winner in 2007.

‘You (Gary Neville) sprinted all the way to the Anfield Road end, or whatever it is, and celebrated with the United fans. I would love that result again today but we will see what happens.’


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