Rooney earns Man Utd win at Liverpool

Wayne Rooney’s late strike settled a scrappy encounter to give Manchester United and manager Louis van Gaal a vital victory at Liverpool.

In a game that was a pale shadow of previous meetings between these two Premier League superpowers, Liverpool had the better chances and United keeper David de Gea kept his side in it with fine saves from Adam Lallana and Emre Can.

Jurgen Klopp’s side wasted other opportunities and paid the price 12 minutes from time when Rooney fired United’s first shot on target high past Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet after Marouane Fellaini’s header came back off the bar.

Van Gaal’s position had been under scrutiny after only two wins in United’s previous 11 games – but victory at Anfield is the perfect tonic and United are now in fifth, just two points off the Champions League places.

Follow all the post-match reaction from Anfield

Rooney still vital for United

Rooney’s status as United and England’s main man is often questioned – but once again he proved he remains, along with the outstanding De Gea, one of Van Gaal’s most crucial players.

The 30-year-old lifelong Evertonian relishes winning at Anfield, and his delight was plain to see after he hammered home his winner.

It was further proof he is undergoing a rejuvenation after criticism earlier this season, scoring twice in the 3-3 draw at Newcastle United and the winning goals in the third-round FA Cup victory against Sheffield United and the league match with Swansea City.

The question may be asked again soon – but there is still no evidence to suggest the Red Devils are a better side without Rooney than with him.

Klopp’s task made clear

Liverpool have shown signs of promise in two big games at Anfield this week – but only earned a point against Arsenal with an injury-time equaliser and were beaten here.

Klopp is still trying to impose his “gegenpressing” style on Liverpool and it has worked better away – in impressive wins at Chelsea, Manchester City, Southampton and Stoke City – than it has at Anfield.

Liverpool were arguably the better team here but once again demonstrated a vulnerability to crosses and ran out of steam badly towards the end. The philosophy will not bear fruit until his defenders can clear a cross.

The struggles Klopp faces are summed up by the fact that, for the second game running, he was reduced to throwing defender Steven Caulker, a loan signing from QPR, on as a late substitute in attack.

The German has much work to do.

The friendly ‘derby’?

Tongue in cheek, perhaps – but this was a far cry from the thunderous collisions between Liverpool and Manchester United when Scousers such as Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher came into opposition with local products Gary and Phil Neville, as well as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

Anfield, not helped by the lack of quality on offer, was subdued and the aggression that used to be this fixture’s hallmark flared only briefly in a couple of early skirmishes involving Liverpool’s Lucas and United midfielder Fellaini.

This was every inch a game between two sides sitting sixth and ninth in the Premier League before kick-off.

It may have even come as a disappointment to Klopp after the build-up and the history. He called these games “the salt in the soup” – this one needed an awful lot of seasoning.

United’s Jesse Lingard, born in Warrington, was as close to local as it got in the starting line-ups – and perhaps that explains the lack of fire and brimstone that used to be a starting point in these confrontations.