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'You don't have to be a tactical genius' | Breen plays down Solskjaer praise

While many people praised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tactical set up against Liverpool on Sunday, Gar...



'You don't have to be a tactic...
Soccer

'You don't have to be a tactical genius' | Breen plays down Solskjaer praise

While many people praised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tactical set up against Liverpool on Sunday, Gary Breen thinks the acclaim has been overblown.

Speaking on Tuesday's OTB AM, Breen said that while he did set up well against Liverpool, it was nothing special.

"I don't think if you have to be a particular tactical genius to know that if you want to stop Liverpool you got to push their full-backs back.

"The very fact that [Mohamed] Salah was missing enabled them to go three for three in a way they wouldn't up against someone like him.

"They played split strikers and with Perreira being in and around Fabinho stopping him playing out was a success. They played well but it wasn't rocket science," Breen stated.

He felt that it was a good one-off performance from United but it was nothing more than that.

"The reality was it was only a first-half performance and [David] De Gea had to make 11 saves in that second half.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (left) celebrates with Adam Lallana after the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Second half display

"They start well but they just can't maintain it and ultimately they produce performances like this because they are good footballers but they're not consistently good footballers.

"They won't be challenging up the top of the league and they will revert to type soon enough," the former Ireland international said.

In terms of the other manager on the touchline, Breen felt Jurgen Klopp adjusted well as the game progressed.

"They soon got it right and he [Klopp] showed his qualities in how quickly he changed the system.

"I think he played three different systems in that second half to really put United on the back foot.

"It was no surprise when they did get their goal because I never felt that United would keep them out for 90 minutes," Breen said.

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Liverpool Manchester United Ole Gunnar Solskjaer