Rio Ferdinand has claimed that the strategic positioning of Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz during their goals against Manchester United allowed them to "cheat". Liverpool emerged victorious with a 3-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday (September 1), marking a successful debut for Arne Slot against the Red Devils.
The Colombian winger scored twice in the first half, with his fellow winger assisting his second goal, while Salah added to the tally in the second half with a left-footed strike past Andre Onana. Casemiro bore the brunt of the blame for the defeat after losing possession to Ryan Gravenberch for Liverpool's first goal and being intercepted by Diaz for the second.
However, Ferdinand highlighted how Slot instructed his wingers to seize opportunities against United when they arose. Speaking on the Rio Presents show, alongside former United team-mate Owen Hargreaves and co-host Joel Beya, the ex-England captain explained that the positioning of Salah and Diaz on the pitch enabled them to "cheat".
Related articles
He implied they could regain possession high up the pitch and push for a goal if they managed to dispossess United, reports the Mirror. "Let them cheat, that's what we used to do," Ferdinand declared. "Initially let them cheat, so if we do nick it, they're high and their full-backs are high, they'll never get back and two of the goals especially, the full-backs aren't even in the picture."
Despite Noussair Mazraoui's strong start at United, the Moroccan star was notably absent when Diaz netted the first goal of the match. On the opposite side, Diogo Dalot allowed Salah to freely score his third goal of the season, demonstrating the effectiveness of Slot's strategy.
The Dutchman has enjoyed an undefeated beginning with Liverpool currently in second place in the Premier League and yet to concede a goal this season. Conversely, Erik ten Hag is already feeling the heat after suffering two defeats in his first three matches and only managing to score twice.
On top of having to succeed a legend in Jurgen Klopp, Slot also has to deal with the contract situations of Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Virgil van Dijk. All three stars will become free agents in the summer of 2025 if new deals cannot be agreed.
