5 talking points from Manchester United 1 – 4 Liverpool

#1 Andreas Pereira gives Mourinho a problem every manager likes to have

Andreas Pereira had another stellar outing for the Red Devils

Pereira has been brilliant so far in the pre-season. He is United’s consistent performer and has set the bar high in the midfield. In his current form in pre-season, it will be difficult for Mourinho to ignore him, and the manager will love that.

With the retirement of Michael Carrick, Mourinho would have liked some reinforcements from the market, but it looks like Pereira has stepped up his game and Carrick - part of Mourinho’s coaching staff now, will certainly have a huge contribution in that.

The Liverpool game was a litmus test for Pereira, and he started the game with a bang. That free-kick will be the best memory of United fans in the pre-season so far. It had everything, and was so perfect that Grabara the Liverpool goalkeeper did not move an inch.

But it was not the only highlight in Pereira’s game. The Brazilian was busy, aggressive and looked like a proper United player playing against their bitter rivals. It was a shame that he could not find the outlet in attack to help the game, and had to invest all of his time in defensive duties.

The disappearance of McTominay also hurt him. Mourinho needs to get this boy a proper midfield partner immediately, because rest assured - Andreas Pereira has the grit, determination and the talent to have his say this season.