Jose Mourinho Defends Manchester United Approach After Jurgen Klopp Comments

Jose Mourinho thinks a failure to win at Old Trafford is why Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp thought Manchester United were too defensive during Sunday's 1-1 draw in the Premier League.

Speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports after the game (h/t Football.London's Lee Wilmot), the former United manager had some choice words in response to Klopp's complaints:

"Because he never beat Manchester United at Old Trafford, I think he didn't like the menu. He likes meat and he got fish, so he was not happy. They are of course much stronger playing against an opposition that gives them chances of transitions and counter attacks.

Of course, United, with the limitations they have at this moment, they played a different type of game. They tried to be solid at the back, they tried to not give them a chance of transition, they kept always with three centre-backs in position plus (Scott) McTominay and Fred who were always compact.

Jurgen clearly has frustrations. It's a fantastic situation for his team. But at Old Trafford - which is a special place to win - he never did it."

Klopp had chided United for what he viewed as an overly cautious approach when he spoke to Sky Sports (h/t Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News):

The Liverpool chief also said the Red Devils "always played" in a defensive manner during his time in England's top flight, per Wilmot. That included Mourinho's tenure in the United dugout, a tumultuous spell that ended with the 56-year-old being sacked last December, ironically after losing 3-1 to Klopp's Liverpool at Anfield.

Mourinho may have been shown the door, but he previously been able to consistently find ways to frustrate the Reds. He avoided defeat in five previous meetings, winning one and drawing four, with the lone victory coming on home soil in March 2018.

Those results also included Mourinho's team twice holding usually free-scoring Liverpool without a goal at Anfield. The stalemates were worthy rewards for stout defending and well-crafted organisation, but the games often made for drab fare rather than true spectacles.

A contrast in style and ideology between the two is obvious. While Mourinho is a pragmatist usually leaning toward the defensive side of the spectrum when he's needed to, Klopp has made intense high pressing a trademark, building teams noted for their pace and proficiency in the final third.

Things were different this time, with Liverpool needing Adam Lallana's 85th-minute finish to equalise Marcus Rashford's goal and salvage a game littered with controversy related to the video assistant referee, including an apparent foul by Victor Lindelof on Divock Origi missed in the buildup to the opener and Sadio Mane having a goal chalked off for handball.

No matter how the decisions went, Liverpool ultimately saw a sequence of 17 wins in a row in England's top flight snapped, meaning they were unable to equal Manchester City's tally of 18 consecutive victories.

Klopp and the Reds also failed to match the nine straight wins to start a season Mourinho's Chelsea managed early in the 2005/06 campaign. The Blues would go on to retain the title that season.

Liverpool's chances of winning the league crown still look good despite two dropped points in the red half of Manchester. Klopp's squad has a six-point lead over City, but not beating a struggling United side that's won just twice in nine matches, will raise questions.

However, former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has rejected the idea the Reds have a problem breaking down stubborn and deep defensive blocks:

Liverpool can overcome a rearguard action, but Klopp may be more concerned about his team's habit of being held to draws against the division's biggest names. It happened last season when the Reds drew at home to City and away to United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Those dropped points were as big a reason as any for why Liverpool eventually lost out to the Citizens by just a single point in the title race. Liverpool have already won at Chelsea during this campaign, and battling back to rescue point against the Red Devils—without the injured Mohamed Salah—may prove a key moment, provided Klopp's men can better the result in more of the marquee games to come this season.

Getting the right results against familiar top-six rivals will be more important than winning any philosophical battle over the right way to play.