After Manchester United scrounged a 0-0 draw at Anfield in October, José Mourinho suggested Liverpool had played conservatively. United, he reckoned, had begun more adventurously before a lack of options forced them to batten down the hatches. “They played with a very strong midfield, with three real midfield players: Can, Henderson and Wijnaldum. We had only two. In the second half they bought Coutinho to play also inside and I had nobody on the bench to help me change the direction of the game. So the second half was tactical and organisational, but difficult for us to play more.” United have more options now (Paul Pogba is back, Alexis Sánchez has signed and Scott McTominay has emerged) and Liverpool have fewer (having sold Philippe Coutinho) – so how much will Mourinho tell his side to play on Saturday at Old Trafford? Chances are that with United two points above Liverpool and aware that Jürgen Klopp’s side would relish an attacking approach from the home side, Mourinho will advise caution again. But that would not justify starting Sánchez ahead of Marcus Rashford.
Gareth Southgate has always said that he picks his England team on form, and admitted last November that, young or old, “age shouldn’t be a barrier”. With that in mind, and with Southgate set to name his squad next Thursday for the friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy later this month, how much thought should he give to Glenn Murray? Behind Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy, the third-choice striker spot is very much up for grabs. Danny Welbeck is in dismal form, Jermain Defoe can’t get a kick for Bournemouth, while neither the injured Daniel Sturridge nor Tammy Abraham have scored a league goal since October. Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling will surely go to Russia but are unlikely to play as a No 9. At 34, Murray would become the oldest England debutant in 68 years – if he continues his hot streak for Brighton at Everton on Saturday, it will become more difficult for Southgate to ignore him. MB
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