Search icon

Sport

15th Oct 2017

Here’s why Jose Mourinho was pictured shaking hands with this Liverpool fan during Saturday’s game

The United boss saw the funny side

Simon Lloyd

Manchester United left Anfield with a point on Saturday afternoon, with one of the biggest fixtures of the Premier League season failing to live up to its billing.

Liverpool undoubtedly had the better of the match, with United rarely threatening Simon Mignolet’s goal – especially in the second half. However, as was the case last season, the game finished goalless with many blaming Jose Mourinho’s ‘park the bus’ tactics for sucking the life out of the contest.

Mourinho has never been the most popular figure with the red half of Merseyside, something which will have become markedly worse since he joined their greatest rivals from down the East Lancs Road the summer before last.

He was, however, able to shake the hand of a Liverpool supporter sitting close to the United bench part way through Saturday’s game.

As pointed out by the Liverpool Echo, shortly before this the supporter had caught the ball as it went into the crowd. Despite Mourinho asking him to throw it back, the fan ignored him and tossed it away – much to the amusement of the majority of those in attendance at Anfield.

Mourinho appeared to take it all in good grace and was then pictured smiling as he extended his hand to the supporter.

The draw, coupled with a 7-2 for Manchester City at home to Stoke, leaves United two points off the Premier League summit. Liverpool were eighth in the table by the end of Saturday.