Paul Parker was impressed with Hannibal Mejbri on Tuesday
Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker is of the view that Hannibal Mejbri was the only bright spot for the Red Devils in their defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday.
Ralf Rangnick and Co locked horns with the Reds at Anfield in the Premier League on Tuesday. The hosts earned an emphatic 4-0 victory on the night, courtesy of goals from Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane, and a brace from Mohamed Salah.
The defeat handed a further blow to the Red Devils’ hopes of finishing in the top four this season as they sit sixth in the table. It would not be wrong to claim that the visitors had a night to forget at Anfield.
Looking back at Manchester United‘s trip to Merseyside, Parker has picked out Mejbri as the only positive for the Red Devils from the game. The former defender was impressed with the hunger the 19-year-old attacker showed after coming on in the second half. He told BettingExpert:
“I would say when Sancho came on and also that the lad named Hannibal Mejbri. When he [Mejbri] came on, he chased the ball around and got into a few fights, and he’s upset a few Liverpool players. It wasn’t so much about football as it was taking on a young lad to show appetite. Which is quite embarrassing really.”
Parker feels Mejbri was determined to make a point when he came on against Liverpool on Tuesday. The former Red Devils star is also of the view that the teenager should have come on earlier against the Reds. He said:
“I think he somehow figured out how big the game was and he took it upon himself to work hard. It wasn’t the case of getting picked. He wanted to work hard and make a point. It’s just a shame really that he didn’t come out earlier, he never got an opportunity to do it in the game against Norwich and come on then. But, yeah, he was a massive positive.”“It says a lot ‘cause I think he came in the last 10 to 15 minutes. So that tells you how well the lad has done.”
The attacker replaced Anthony Elanga in the 84th minute of the game. Manchester United were already trailing 3-0 when he came on, but that did not stop him from doing his best for the side.
Mejbri’s cameo against Liverpool was just his second senior appearance for the Old Trafford outfit. Having impressed at Anfield on Tuesday, the Tunisian will be hoping to earn more minutes in the coming weeks.
Who do Liverpool and Manchester United face next?
Manchester United will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Klopp’s side when they face Arsenal this weekend. They are scheduled to face the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.
Liverpool, on the other hand, will be keen to build on their win against the Old Trafford outfit this weekend. They host arch-rivals Everton at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds are just one point behind table-toppers Manchester City with six more games left to play. Manchester United are three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who have a game in hand.
