It's difficult to pinpoint the exact moment when Manchester United's humiliation at Anfield reached its zenith, but it's possible that it occurred before the second half had even begun.

In order to keep warm while Martin Atkinson was waiting for his technological problems to be resolved, the two teams each requested a ball to kick around.

As Liverpool's players sped around the field with the ball remaining in the middle of the pitch, United's defeated team stood frozen for five or six seconds before deciding that they, too, should follow suit.

Nevertheless, as those United players exchanged passes, the Kop erupted in applause every time one of the passes reached its intended recipient. United's inability to get a good look at the match ball in the first half was brought home by this not-so-subtle reminder.

Towards the end of the first 45 minutes, the Liverpool fans sang about how "they played the s***e on a Tuesday night and they barely touched the ball." They now had a set of their own to play with. What a delightful surprise.

Liverpool didn't really crush United; rather, they played a game of cat and mouse with them. It was like a pack of pussycats rushing after a ball that was always just out of reach, and the skillful Thiago Alcantara was the one in charge of the show most of the time.

On Sunday, the 31-year-old was in complete command of the Liverpool midfield, finding passes that were scarcely noticed and threading the ball between the statuesque figures of Nemanja Matic and Bruno Fernandes.

What Manchester United could achieve if they had a midfielder with Thiago's ball-control abilities. Of course, it's possible that Thiago was the perpetrator.

In 2013, Manchester United wanted to sign him, but David Moyes refused to do so, and for the second time in a row the club caved to the wishes of a manager who would be gone within a year. This serves as a gentle reminder that this humble season has been nine years in the making.

Despite the fact that United lacked the will and drive to seriously threaten Liverpool at Anfield, this loss came as no surprise. Liverpool just have better footballers, a better manager, and a stronger organizational structure than their opponents. They are currently a far better football club than they were a year ago.

This was a collection of players who were completely in sync with one another, and who had all agreed to play for a manager who has a clear and unyielding attitude.

They were portraying a ragged group of players who had been assembled at the whims of a series of unsuccessful managers and an executive vice-chairman who was obsessed with superstars. Over the course of too many years, this football club has been a complete shambles, overseen by absentee landlords who couldn't give a damn whether they were successful or not as long as they were profitable.

To think that 15 months ago, United came to Liverpool at the top of the league. That was during a season that was played behind closed doors, providing an unrealistic picture of where teams were, and at a time when Liverpool - the reigning Premier League champions - were suffering from a terrible injury crisis.

Some people believed that the guard had changed at that time, and they were correct. In the closing minutes of Tuesday night's game, United were further away from their historic rivals than they had ever been before.

They have lost both of their games against Jurgen Klopp's team this season, losing 9-0 and being absolutely and utterly humiliated.

However, this isn't only a matter of this season. It's been about nine years since amateurs and egomaniacs were allowed to rule Manchester United Football Club, according to the club's website. Nothing else will change unless and until this occurs.