5 Takeaways from Manchester United's Loss at Liverpool

Manchester United suffered a heart-breaking elimination from the FA Cup on Saturday at the hands of fierce rivals Liverpool. Having already knocked out Manchester City in the third round, United had the opportunity to crush another rival’s dreams, but failed to score a winner or even hold on for a draw, as Liverpool won 2-1 at Anfield in the dying minutes.

Although the manner of the loss is devastating for the United faithful, there was plenty to take away from their performance, both positive and negative.

These five takeaways from the loss against Liverpool could prove to be key factors in whether or not United can secure trophies this season, with the Premier League and Europa League still up for grabs.

David De Gea Is Not Ready

David De Gea has become an unavoidable talking point for Manchester United supporters with his inconsistent performances in goal. Criticized for his lack of confidence when coming out to collect crosses, De Gea has found himself relegated to the bench in recent weeks with Anders Lindegaard taking over as first choice.

Sir Alex Ferguson provided De Gea another opportunity to prove himself against Liverpool, but the manager was unlikely to be impressed.

When United played Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League back in October, De Gea had arguably his best performance in a United shirt with a few world-class saves. The same could not be said of his showing on Saturday. There was little he could do about Liverpool’s second goal, but De Gea was at fault for Liverpool’s first.

Although he was not helped by his defenders, De Gea failed to come out and either catch or punch the ball, instead finding himself caught out as Daniel Agger headed in the opening goal.

Few would disagree that De Gea is destined to be a fantastic goalkeeper, but right now he is not ready for the rigors of the Premier League. The natural talent is there, but he is too small for the physical style of play in England. He is easily bullied by the opposition and needs to bulk up to impose himself in the box.

Should he spend the remainder of the season in the gym building muscle, De Gea may be in line to reclaim his place at the start of next season. For now, he is simply not ready.

Paul Scholes Is Still Crucial for United

Despite having only come out of retirement at the beginning of January, Paul Scholes has quickly proven he is crucial to any of Manchester United’s aspirations this season.

With Scholes on the pitch, United were controlling the game in midfield. It was only after Scholes was substituted that United began to struggle and ultimately conceded the winning goal to Dirk Kuyt.

United’s midfield has been another concern for supporters, but it was actually an impressive midfield performance against Liverpool while Scholes was on the pitch. Scholes' withdrawal only served to illustrate the team's reliance on him. His removal was, however, unavoidable as he appeared exhausted and looked for his inhaler as he walked to the bench.

While the United midfield bossed the game with Scholes, they were overrun without him. Part of this is to blame on the shift from a three-man to a two-man midfield, but Scholes' influence on the game was what United missed the most.

The FA Cup may no longer be an option, but United are still in contention for the Premier League and Europa League, and Scholes will be crucial to any ambitions they have of silverware this year. However, whether Scholes can play enough at the age of 37 to make an impact will certainly be a concern.

A Lone Striker Does Not Work for United

Sir Alex Ferguson opted for a lone striker against Liverpool as he packed the Manchester United midfield with a 4-5-1 formation. This tactic has rarely worked for any of United’s strikers, and Danny Welbeck was the latest victim.

Welbeck has been in fantastic form for United this season with nine goals in 22 appearances. Partnered with Wayne Rooney in recent weeks, Welbeck has thrived with three goals in three games, including a stunning effort against Manchester City and the winner against Arsenal.

However, there was little the 21-year-old striker could do against Liverpool as he found himself isolated up front. This resulted in United's in-form striker having a minimal impact on the game.

It is not uncommon for Sir Alex to use a three-man midfield against tough opposition on the road. This tactic is effective for stifling the other team's attack, but it often leaves the lone striker isolated. United cannot continue to use a 4-5-1 and expect to get the most from their abundance of attacking talent.

Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov have both struggled in a lone role, while Rooney failed to have his usual influence on the game when playing as the sole striker against Benfica earlier this season. This squad is more suited for a 4-4-2, and the United attack suffers when only one striker is on the pitch.

Patrice Evra Needs a Lesson in Defending

Unfortunately, Patrice Evra was always going play a major part in this match, and for all the wrong reasons.

This was Manchester United’s first trip to Anfield since Luis Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing Evra in their last encounter at this ground back in October. Boos erupted from the Liverpool fans every time Evra touched the ball, but it was for an entirely different reason that Evra is a major talking point.

A replay at Old Trafford was on the cards as United and Liverpool remained tied at 1-1 in the 88th minute, but Liverpool managed to capitalize on Evra’s poor positioning. Pepe Reina launched the ball up field and Andy Carroll managed to head the ball into the path of Dirk Kuyt, who found himself in on goal with Evra caught out of position.

David De Gea was left helpless as Kuyt slotted in the winner.

This is not the first time that Evra has been caught out defensively this season, and it has become a growing concern among the United faithful. Evra have been fortunate that there is no one at the club to rival him for the left back position, but United’s defense has suffered due to his defensive deficiencies.

This will continue to be a concern as the season progresses. 

United Actually Played Well Despite Losing

Despite losing, Manchester United actually had a good performance.

This fact has been lost in the devastation of being knocked out of the FA Cup by Liverpool. Even Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool captain, admitted that United were likely the better team in this game. United had more possession than Liverpool and controlled the midfield. They were undone by two catastrophic moments, but otherwise United played extremely well. Ultimately, though, it is only goals that count, and so United will have to their FA Cup dreams on hold until next season.

However, this performance is be something to build on, especially in the midfield.

The performance of Rafael at right back was another positive takeaway. With injuries plaguing the squad, the defense has suffered all season from a rotating back four. Rafael is finally fit and showed against Liverpool why the right back position should be his.

The energy and enthusiasm that he brings to the defense cannot be underestimated, and he was excellent both in defense and in attack, getting the assist for Park Ji-Sung’s goal. If he can stay healthy and continue to mature with each performance, Rafael will prove a key figure in the United back four.

It will be hard for United fans to stay positive after being eliminated from the FA Cup by Liverpool, but if the team can continue to perform at this level and address today's errors, then they may yet bring some silverware home to Old Trafford this season.