‘All the attributes’ – Peter Schmeichel tells Ruben Amorim to change Man Utd captain after Liverpool win

Peter Schmeichel believes one player has ‘all the attributes’ to be Manchester United captain after their shock 2-1 win over Liverpool.

The Red Devils had not won at Anfield in almost a decade, but produced the defining performance of Ruben Amorim’s era to condemn Liverpool to their fourth straight defeat.

Bryan Mbeumo’s goal gave United the lead after little more than a minute on the clock before Liverpool hit back with an equaliser after the break though Cody Gakpo.

However, it was United who went on to secure the win, Harry Maguire rising highest from Bruno Fernandes’ superb cross to head home before celebrating in front of a frenzied away end.

Starting just his third Premier League game of the season, former United skipper Maguire delivered a commanding display at the heart of the visitors’ back-three defence.

And so impressed was Schmeichel with Maguire’s performance and all-around leadership that the former Red Devils keeper urged Amorim to strip Bruno Fernandes of the captain’s armband and reinstate the Englishman as the side’s skipper.

‘I can’t praise him enough. I want Harry Maguire to play every game. I want him to be the captain, he’s got all the attributes of a good Manchester United leader,’ he told Viaplay at full-time.

‘He’s not the quickest, I’ll agree with that, and he’s got some trouble on the turn, but Man Utd have had defenders like that before.

‘But what they always had next to them were quick players and that’s what we don’t have at the moment.

‘I think he should be the number one defender and he can organise everybody. He talks to everybody and gives them confidence, and I think that is important. Somebody who stands out all the time and takes responsibility, because I think that has been a problem in this team.

Metro at the Match: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United

Metro at the Match returns to bring you all the analysis from the biggest games of the season.

Here are our team’s key takeaways from United’s dramatic win at Anfield:

Panic stations for Liverpool

Four losses on the bounce and a first home defeat to United in almost a decade should have alarm bells ringing on Merseyside. The season is still young, but Arne Slot’s chaotic side currently look a shadow of the well-oiled machine that cantered to the title last season. Ben Fleming – Sports Reporter

A turning point for Amorim’s tenure?

If beating newly-promoted Sunderland felt like a job-saver for Ruben Amorim, the dramatic win at Anfield felt like a defining and potentially transformational moment for the Old Trafford boss. A Liverpool winner felt inevitable once they finally broke United’s resistance but the visitors rallied superbly and snatched the three points themselves. Much of the talk will be about Liverpool’s fourth straight defeat but this was huge for Manchester United and perhaps the turning point in Amorim’s tenure. Louis Sealey, Deputy Sports Editor

Is Van Dijk beginning to slip?

Much has been made of Mohamed Salah’s slow start to the season, but is Virgil van Dijk also starting to show signs of his age? The Dutchman allowed Bryan Mbeumo to ghost in behind with ease after only a minute, in what is his second costly mistake in as many club games. Ben Fleming – Sports Reporter

Lammens takes to Anfield like a duck to water

Senne Lammens’ selection effectively confirmed his status as Ruben Amorim’s No. 1 after his solid debut against Sunderland. Wayne Rooney was among those questioning the £18m deal – especially as Gianluigi Donnarumma and Emiliano Martinez were available – but it’s looking like money well spent. Lammens denied £125m striker Alexander Isak in the first half and generally provides a more assuring presence in the United goal than either of Andre Onana or Altay Bayindir. Louis Sealey, Deputy Sports Editor

‘I think Bruno is a fantastic player, plays maybe in the wrong position, but sometimes I don’t like his body language. I know he talks really well to all the players but somethimes he has reactions that can be mistaken for something else.

‘Harry doesn’t have that, he has that calm head. I was saying during the game: ‘Look at Harry, look at how he is telling everyone where to go and helping players’.

‘And there are a lot of players in this team that are so low on confidence that they need help. And then Harry plays and I’m so happy he scored that goal.’

Former Arsenal winger Freddie Ljungberg was equally impressed with Maguire’s display and praised the 32-year-old’s resilience to work his way back into the starting lineup.

‘I always felt sorry for Maguire because the s*** he had been getting in England had been horrible,’ Ljungberg added.

‘I always felt for the man because he always takes it with dignity, and when he’s out on that pitch, he gives everything for Man United. Never complained about it, he just does his job and every game I see him, I want him to do well.

‘A game like this, when they score so early and in the second half they can stand and defend that low block, for Maguire, that is perfect.

‘Sometimes I feel they criticise him when they play a high line and he has to turn and run back. Yeah, that’s not his strength. But what the game looked like today, he was amazing.’

Speaking after the game, a jubilant Maguire told Sky Sports: ‘It means everything. They have had the better of us over the last few years and it’s not been good enough for our club.

‘We have not given our fans anywhere near enough days like today, so it has been a long time coming, coming to this ground and picking up three points.

‘It means a lot more than just three points to the boys and to the club and to the fans.’

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