It’s not clear what match David Moyes was watching on Sunday, but the Manchester United manager appears to think his lacklustre team played alright in losing to Liverpool at Anfield.
The consensus is that Moyes was just repeating Alex Ferguson’s old trick of protecting his players in public, despite their evident lack of form and imagination in falling to their age-old rivals.
It is not the kind of attitude United fans would expect from their manager, who is yet to win at Anfield in 11 years of trying.
As Reds veteran Steven Gerrard gave United’s midfield hope Tom Cleverley a lesson, and Jordan Henderson, Lucas Leiva and Philippe Coutinho bossed the show, United’s lack of a real midfield threat was entirely evident.
It was bemusing to consider that Shinji Kagawa could not even make the match-day squad, with stranded striker Robin van Persie increasingly frustrated by the lack of support he received.
And so with United’s shortcomings so exposed, it beggared belief that Moyes could claim afterwards that he is not fussed if the champions make any transfer deadline day signings.
Having tried and failed to sign Thiago Alcantara, Cesc Fabregas, Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera, and having been linked to Mesut Ozil, it is clear that United know that their midfield is lacking.
Yet when Moyes was asked in the aftermath of yet another personal Anfield defeat if he thinks it compulsory to add to the players at his disposal, he said quizzically: "Well, not [on] today. I thought they [United] played really well."
"I've got to say I was really impressed with how the players played today,” Moyes continued.
“I tell you what I can see why they're champions.
“So as far as transfers go we've only got I don't know how many hours left but not too long to wait."
It would come as a major shock if United don’t sign anyone by midnight on Monday, with Fellaini seemingly the most likely arrival at this stage.
But even if they do, on the basis of their meek display against Liverpool, it is hard to see how Moyes could truly have been “impressed” by their efforts.
Liverpool meanwhile, can look upon the closing hours of the transfer window with relative comfort for the first time in many seasons.
For the first time in history, they have kept clean sheets in winning their opening three top-flight matches.
They are the only team left in the Premier League with a 100% record, and sit atop the pile for the first time since 2009.
And all of this without their best player Luis Suarez, and with a trio of reinforcements- Portuguese defender Thiago Ilori, French defender Mamadou Sakho, and Chelsea’s Nigerian international winger Victor Moses- yet to join up with the squad.
If any manager should be genuinely impressed after Sunday’s Anfield events, it is clearly Reds boss Brendan Rodgers.
