Manchester United FC v Liverpool FC – Prematch Opinion

The Barclays Premiership resumes tomorrow evening. Not tomorrow afternoon when that lot from across the park take on Chelsea but tomorrow evening at 5:30pm. This is when the league recommences proper after two weeks of dull internationals. 

Brendan Rodgers and his Liverpool team make the short trip to the wrong end of the East Lancs Road to Old Trafford for one of the biggest games in world league football. Forget your Real Madrid v Athletico, forget your AC Milan v Inter and your Real Madrass v Athletico Jamaica on the Sunday morning. This is the big one. The biggest in this green and pleasant land by a long stretch.

With both teams having lost their last fixture and not exactly tearing up trees so far this season, a win is definitely the order of the day! No excuses. Everyone has to turn up. Time to settle in will not be allowed, let alone tolerated.

Liverpool will be without Daniel Sturridge whom, despite hope and expectation in equal measure, is not quite ready despite training with the first team after the best part of a year out with various thigh and hip injuries. Philippe Coutinho is suspended due to his red card during the last match. According to physioroom.com, that’s not the end of Liverpool’s woes either.

Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen are all listed as “very doubtful” and this will, in my opinion make for a difficult outing. OK, many would not think missing Lallana and Allen as being a “huge blow” as the tabloids would call it but certainly the absence of Henderson and Coutinho would severely weaken any team. This the options in midfield are limited.

I expect Emre Can to start in front of the back four of Joe Gomez, Dejan Lovren, Martin Skrtel and Nathaniel Clyne. In view of the opposition, I’d expect the gaffer to partner the German international with another more defensive-minded midfielder and I would expect this to be Lucas. Looking further up the field, injuries would limit the options to Roberto Firmino and Jordan Ibe either side and slightly ahead of James Milner. More likely than not Christian Benteke will have to shoulder the sole striking responsibility.

Regardless of team structures, this game has both sides needing a result. Recent reports from Talksport quote the Times in suggesting Louis van Gaal has alienated senior United players – leading to a “bust-up” – over his training techniques and this, may well add some much needed spice to an event that has arguably lost some of the sparkle (shall we call it, politely) from recent encounters.

Whichever way the win blows in this encounter all Liverpool fans will be looking for an improvement over the last games result. If we can get a performance to match then that will be even better in my eyes. Having said that, Rodgers leaving the team bus in the visitors’ goal area and nicking a single (winning) goal would be more than fine with me. This is a game where the result counts more than anything else.

An alternative to the above line up would be to deploy young Jordan Rossiter in midfield beside Milner and leave Lucas out but I believe the 18 year-old local lad will probably start on the bench.Rodgers said in his pre-match press conference when asked about the lack of home grown players in the squad, replied that they have Jon Flanagan and Jordan Rossiter. “…From my time here that I always give youth a chance…”  A rather loose and cliche’d response in my opinion.

In the 42 year-old’s tenure, only Flanagan has emerged. The others have generally shone initially, sent out indefinitely on loan and then sold to the lower leagues such as Conor Coady and Jack Robinson. Or worse, to competitors for a song, like Martin Kelly. The likes of Rossiter and other youngsters need to be given more of a look in in my opinion. If so many are deemed not good enough, then there is something fundamentally wrong with the Academy process.

Whatever the reason, it is what it is, and I’d say that the lack of local involvement has probably detracted from the element of local pride that comes with this fixture.  Tomorrow, the side needs to show some steel. Some pride in the shirt they wear and do themselves, the fans and the club proud. This is a game that is there for the taking. United are by no means the force they once were, this is without doubt. The last fixture against them saw Liverpool play well and come away with a 3-0 drubbing. It’s time to turn those performances into results. It’s time to get this Premiership party started – right.

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