Mark Goldbridge claims nine-man Liverpool are better than Man United with 11 players

Mark Goldbridge brutally claims Liverpool are better with NINE men than Manchester United with 11 players.

Liverpool were reduced to nine men in their VAR-filled 2-1 defeat against Tottenham on Saturday.

Curtis Jones was shown a red card by match referee Simon Hooper following a controversial VAR review, with Diogo Jota receiving two yellow cards after entering the fray.

The Reds almost hanged on for a point as they showed off their resilience, but Joel Matip's own-goal deep, deep into injury time saw Spurs secure all three points.

Diogo Jota shown a red card. Image: Getty

Like Liverpool, Man United also suffered a defeat as they succumbed to Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, with fans making their feelings clear regarding Joachim Andersen's goal.

Erik ten Hag's team lost 1-0, having knocked Palace out of the Carabao Cup last Tuesday.

Speaking after Liverpool and Man United's respective fixtures against Spurs and Palace, Goldbridge ruthlessly agreed with a fan's claim that nine-man Liverpool are better than his own side.

"There's a lot of teams better than United but it's a big statement to say that Liverpool with nine men are better than United with 11," he said.

"But it is true, United don't have an identity, they don't have players that want to play football and they don't really seem to know how to do it.

"I don't really blame the manager, I don't think [Jurgen] Klopp or Pep [Guardiola] or [Roberto] De Zerbi even as a trio would get United playing better football because I don't think they've got the IQ to do it in the final third, they just haven't.

"That's why a team with nine men all working together as a team, as one purpose, can do what Liverpool did which is almost the impossible."

The Red Devils had won back-to-back games against Burnley and Palace before Saturday's defeat.

But Goldbridge bemoaned the club's lack of identity as he referenced Brighton's crushing defeat against Aston Villa.

"United just don't have an identity. I watched Brighton today against Aston Villa, 6-1 [they lost] and I still saw what Brighton were trying to do, they play with their back to goal, they play out from the back, trying to play through the press," he added.

"United for years and years I watch them and I just go, 'We don't know what we're doing in the final third.' There's no composure, they shoot, they take people on, I don't think they know what they're doing themselves.

"People would reflect that's Ten Hag then, he's not as good as Pep, he's not as good as Klopp, he's not as a good as De Zerbi, he's not as good as Ange [Postecoglou], he can't get an identity.

"But then I look at the United players and I go, 'How many of the United attack would start for Spurs? How many of the United attack would start for Brighton? How many of them would start for Liverpool?'

"That's when you start to look, I think it's a quality of player, I don't think Ten Hag can play the way that he plays at Ajax, I don't think it's possible."

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Topics: Manchester United, Liverpool, Football, Mark Goldbridge

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

@NasJabbar