“Salah is scoring a hat trick inside 20 mins”, “We are losing 7-0” – Manchester United fans react as Red Devils change formation for Liverpool clash

Interim Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has shocked fans by changing the Red Devils' formation ahead of the side's huge clash with Liverpool.

The German coach has gone with a 5-3-2 formation, with the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is sadly mourning the loss of his baby boy, being felt.

Phil Jones has been given a rare start in the heart of the United defense alongside Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire in a back three. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot will operate as wing-backs.

Jurgen Klopp's men thrashed the Red Devils 5-0 at Old Trafford earlier this season. It's safe to say the change in formation hasn't gone down too well with Manchester United fans.

A crucial Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester United

Rangnick's decision to revert to a different formation for the clash with the Reds is intriguing. With a real lack of a centre-forward being available, Marcus Rashford will lead the line alongside Bruno Fernandes and Anthony Elanga.

Tonight's game will have huge implications for both sides at the business end of the Premier League season. Manchester United cannot afford to drop any points in their pursuit of a top-four finish.

Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal both lost at the weekend allowing the Red Devils to come back into the race for top four. Meanwhile, United picked up three important points following a 3-2 victory over Norwich. They are now three points off of Tottenham, who sit in fourth with seven games remaining.

As for Liverpool, it doesn't get any bigger than tonight's game. The Reds are trailing league-leaders Manchester City by just a point. They will look to keep their red-hot form going and jump to the top of the table.

Klopp's side had previously trailed City by twelve points. However, they are now in with a real shout of pulling off one of the Premier League's greatest comebacks.

Both sets of fans will be biting their nails with so much at stake, including the chance to get one over their fierce rivals.

United's change in formation has come at one of the most important stages in the side's campaign. Whether Rangnick has masterminded an unlikely win remains to be seen. However, fans can expect fireworks once the two Premier League giants take to the field.

About the author

Matthew is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who has been covering news, rumors and match reports for close to 3 years. Learning creative writing from University of Essex, he combined his skills and passion for football take up writing for the sport professionally.

Matthew always strives to go beyond a story and offer unique and lesser-known insights, while maintaining an unbiased tone in his articles. His reporting exploits at the company have helped him gain a humungous readership of 25 million, with one of his articles raking in a whopping 724,000 reads.

A Manchester United fan since childhood, Matthew admired Sir Alex Ferguson for his loyalty and brave coaching style. His favorite footballer is Thierry Henry, believing the Frenchman to be uniquely talented and charismatic. An ardent Three Lions fan, England's penalty shootout win over Colombia in 2018 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment of all time, and he believes that Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe will have a Ballon d’Or duopoly after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He also follows his local EFL League Two clubs AFC Wimbledon and Sutton United, and spends his free time watching and writing about professional wrestling. He also likes to work out, watch movies and go for night outs.

Know More