Manchester United versus Liverpool needs no subplot, on account of the rich successful history and the generally local proximity of both clubs. However, with United in the race for a record breaking 19th league title, the green and gold campaign, the recent centenary celebrations and the fact that Liverpool’s season long meltdown makes this game the only “Cup Final” they’re likely to reach this campaign, the ingredients are there for a real firecracker of a Premier League fixture.
The build up has been somewhat lukewarm – Rafa Benitez now performs his verbal sparring with opponents more his level, Albert Riera has been revealing that Benitez seemingly enters into more dialogue with rival managers than his own players, Fernando Torres has been vivaciously flirting to potential suitors and such has their fall from grace been that even in the relative indignity of performing in the Europa League, they are not even England’s favourite side in that competition!
With all the general goings on at either club, this has become just one fixture to tackle for United on their road to hopefully making destiny – the three points, and not the identity of the opponent, are all that’s relevant. The FA have done their best in their efforts to wrestle the Premier League trophy from Old Trafford and take it to the capital, first by banning Rio Ferdinand (and adding an extra game for good measure) and secondly by refusing to adhere to their own rules, giving Steven Gerrard the power of invincibility as he has flashed the V at officials and assaulted opponents. Had the FA acted by their rules, Gerrard would be banned and unavailable for this game, thusly effecting Liverpool’s chances of a result. By refusing to punish him they are clearly hoping his availability has a similar impact on our game as Rio’s unavailability did, when we dropped 5 points. Given Gerrard’s wretched form this season, they may actually have stood a better chance without him.
Early in the season, after Torres hit a hat-trick against the mighty Hull at Anfield, I had a tete a tete with a Liverpool blogger who had proudly proclaimed he had “irrefutable proof” that the Spaniard was better than Wayne Rooney using a variety of variables to try and convince someone – anyone – that Torres was “more consistently effective”. Of course the argument was based on statistics that after the hat-trick favoured Torres just but was also fleshed out with other meaningless figures and completely disregarded the fact that for the best part of 18 months Rooney had played largely as a wide player. The general consensus was as it still is; Torres goalscoring instinct is clearly sharper, he has few equals as a striker off the shoulder of the last defender, but Rooney is by far the more complete footballer.
The argument in favour of Rooney implies a belief that Torres is not as good as he is; any argument in favour of an individual by default indicates a flaw in the other, but in this case, it’s easy to see Torres is a world class forward who can score any kind of goal and basically guarantee that he will. However, the commonly accepted theory that this season Rooney has truly fulfilled his potential and as such is considered as one of the three best players in the world, if not the best. Indeed, with Rooney developing his new-found free scoring ability, Torres’ natural scoring instinct no longer acts as a defining division between the two.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing of course but it was something I argued at the time anyway and by writing this now I was clearly willing to wait to see how my opinion panned out; clearly the author of the other blog didn’t quite have the same conviction and seemed to have lost interest when the Dippers’ interests in major trophies spectacularly fell apart – the early season insistence that man for man Liverpool were a better team seems laughable now. Other than Torres (depending on formation) and possibly Mascherano (depending on Hargreaves fitness) none of their players would get anywhere near the United side.
Logic then would have a sensible person predicting a home win – after three consecutive losses against Liverpool, United players do have something to prove, both individually and collectively. Even Sir Alex, after making what we here at the site reckoned was a rare tactical mistake, has. Logic, though, is a notion that should not be associated with any summary of this season.
The incentive is there for both sides. United’s focus as always will be on the bigger prize and the end goal of three points; for Liverpool this is perhaps the only chance they have to make a meaningful contribution to the title race (aside from laying down for Chelsea and I’m sure that wouldn’t happen..) and certainly their only opportunity to directly impact on United’s chances of breaking the record. Just as the early season fixture proved to be an aberration in Liverpool’s woeful form, there is the danger that they could really upset the apple cart. What greater motivation do they need? The only alternative to winning yourself is to derive pleasure from the failure of your greatest rivals, and even that goes no distance in compensating.
If this season has taught us anything it is to expect the unexpected; it’s entirely probable given the complicated theory of sods law (wonder what statistics would back that up) that Torres will score and Rooney will have a stinker; almost expected via sods law that Gerrard will win a penalty by diving – in a season where Wigan have beaten Chelsea and Liverpool but conceded 9 at Spurs, a season where Fulham can beat Juventus 4-1, the wise advice would be to not make a prediction, but for 90 minutes, to sit and enjoy – if that’s even the right word – 90 minutes of your early Sunday afternoon tomorrow appreciating the fine margins that seperate the feelings of a 4-1 humilation in your own backyard and a last minute Rio Ferdinand header at the Stretford End.
good writing. I am not convinced of your slant on the Rooney/Torress divide tho but that’s another matter. Was RVN a complete footballer ? Did he have to be ?
Rooney’s improved. But every single time Torress moves / strikes, you feel the quality. Frankly, I sometime wish there was a wand that could bring him down to OT…
On the game itself: I think its a matter of life n death, that United! find a way to triumph tomorrow…yeah that!
Cheers for the comment – just to be clear, my point about the Rooney/Torres comparison was in response to the Liverpool fan who did a blog comparing them.
Such comparisons are pointless as everyone can see they’re completely different types of player, and you’re totally right, Torres doesn’t need to be a complete footballer, but if someone tries to produce a statistical argument to say Torres is better then as a United fan obviously I’m going to respond!
I completely agree that he is one player; probably the only, over the last 20 years, that I would want from Liverpool to play for United. However if it were a choice between he and Rooney, I would take Rooney every time. Maybe that’s partly because of my bias but I expect most people recognise Rooney as the better player now.