If Man United are going to win the title this season, they must improve their form against the big teams

So far this season, Jose Mourinho has done his best to dispel the reputation he is often associated with that he is a manager who only 'parks the bus' and plays a very defensive style of football. However, Saturday’s performance at Anfield showed exactly why he holds this reputation.

Going into the game, there was no doubt who the in-form team was with United only dropping two points all season while Liverpool had only managed to win three from their opening seven games. Despite this, Liverpool played like the team in form, whilst United struggled to get going all afternoon.

Since Mourinho took the helm at United, he has only managed to win two games in ten against the so-called top six sides. If he is going to pick up another Premier League title this season, he must address this problem.

    Jose Mourinho's side only managed one shot on target against Liverpool on Saturday

Earlier in the season, fellow title contenders, Manchester City, managed a 5-0 victory against the same opposition and, although Liverpool went down to ten men after Mane’s red card, City always looked likely to win that match by a comfortable margin, even before the red card.

Contrast that with Saturday’s game, United never really got going and only managed a mere six touches in the opposition penalty box and, had it not been for yet another incredible save from David de Gea, United would have lost the game.

   

   David de Gea makes another world class save to win United a point at Anfield

The frustration from Manchester United’s perspective is the inconsistency the team has shown in games against teams who are considered to be their main rivals. The Chelsea game at Old Trafford last season is the perfect example of this. United dominated the game and came away with a 2-0 victory against a team in title-winning form. However, only two games later, United failed to impress in a 0-0 draw in the Manchester derby, having only one touch in the City penalty area in the second half.

If United are going to finish top of the table this season, they must improve on their performances against the top six, but Saturday’s performance showed no signs of change in this regard.