No mercy as United surrender at Anfield

IT WAS always a question of how many. The best Liverpool team in decades never appeared in danger of sparing the worst Manchester United team in decades.

- SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Liverpool showed mercy by almost declaring at 2-0, dictated by their title tussle with Manchester City and Champions League semi-final with Villarreal next week. United remain unlikely participants in that competition next season.

Yet Jurgen Klopp was relentless on the touchline and the supporters groaned at a backward pass. Liverpool responded with another two goals.

As Klopp strode onto the pitch with the gravitas of a rock star the United players trudged sheepishly towards the away end. Many had already left.

"Who the f-ck are Man United?" crowed The Kop. United's players were detached in every way imaginable, devoid of communication or confrontation, which would have represented a modicum of progress.

This is the worst United side in a lifetime, fully deserving of the chorus of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' on Saturday. The surrender to Liverpool must be the most spiritless and supine by a United side recorded on film.

With ten minutes left, the away section was noticeably sparse. Yesteryear, they would have been locked in. Even the Liverpudlian stewards showed mercy in opening the exits early.

Some had the misfortune to witness Mohamed Salah's second goal and fifth past United this season.

The second-half was delayed for an inordinate amount of time as the referee Martin Atkinson's headset was fixed and the Kop started ‘ole'ing United players' completed passes. In the other half, Liverpool had three balls between the 11 of them. United had one.