{"id":1055,"date":"2017-10-12T12:54:54","date_gmt":"2017-10-12T12:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/?p=1055"},"modified":"2017-10-12T12:54:54","modified_gmt":"2017-10-12T12:54:54","slug":"liverpool-v-manchester-united-how-will-it-pan-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/liverpool-v-manchester-united-how-will-it-pan-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool v Manchester United: How Will It Pan Out?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At lunchtime on Saturday the Reds go up against Manchester United at Anfield in one of the most fiercely contested games in English football. For most Liverpool supporters this game matters even more than the derby, if for no other reason than that fixture hasn\u2019t been genuinely competitive since the Blues last won at Anfield in 1999. Man United, meanwhile, are rapidly approaching the point at which they\u2019ll not only have won more top-flight titles than us but also more trophies in general. There is a bitterness between the two sides that involves more than just footballing matters, with the rivalry between the two cities also playing a part.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">No greater rivalry in any sport anywhere in the world like Liverpool FC &amp; Manchester United, nothing.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Canadian Kop (@thecanadiankop) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thecanadiankop\/status\/918292735831965698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 12, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\u201cutf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>There has been plenty of spice in this fixture over the years, despite the fact that not much needs to be added in order to set the sparks flying. This year is no exception, given the perception of both club\u2019s starts to the season. United, having won six of their opening seven games and not having lost yet, are one of the favourites for the title according to the bookmakers. Liverpool, on the other hand, are being described as a club in crisis after only winning one match in our last seven in all competitions. Never mind that we\u2019ve only lost one league game so far and are unbeaten in Europe, the narrative is that we\u2019re in trouble. So how will Saturday\u2019s game pan out?<\/p>\n<h2>Anfield Shouldn\u2019t Boo If It Wants The Team To Win<\/h2>\n<p>I don\u2019t like Jos\u00e9 Mourinho. I\u2019m on record over that fact, even to the point where I\u2019ve written a piece explaining exactly why <a href=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/why-i-love-jurgen-klopp\/\">the fact that J\u00fcrgen Klopp is the opposite of him<\/a> pleases me so much. I\u2019m sure the Portuguese manager is a lovely person if you meet him in person and I\u2019ve heard several stories suggesting exactly that. Nevertheless, I despise the way the media fauns over him so much, lauding him as sort of genius without ever mentioning the fact that he\u2019s one of the biggest chequebook managers in the business. That he also attempted to gouge the eye of Barcelona\u2019s then assistant manager Tito Vilanova back in 2011 also gets conveniently forgotten when talk turns to him being a real gentleman of the game.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SkySportsNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SkySportsNews<\/a> why do you let mourinho off the hook.he tries to gouge eyes out,abuses female staff,took chelsea to near relegation ffs,Why?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 bobby manc1 (@boxmcfc) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/boxmcfc\/status\/918199081889095687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 11, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\u201cutf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Even so, my opinion of him as a person and the press\u2019s representation of him has no bearing on Saturday\u2019s match. Yet we can make certain assumptions about how the match will pan out based on previous experience. In previous games between Liverpool and a team managed by Mourinho he has invariably sent out one of his snidest players to put a reducer on the man he sees as our biggest threat. Remember Samuel Eto\u2019o\u2019s shin-high tackle on Jordan Henderson at the start of the match in December of the 2013-2014 season? If your memory doesn\u2019t stretch back that far then think on this fixture last season, when Marcus Rashford smashed into James Milner in the first few minutes. The self-proclaimed \u2018Special One\u2019 knows that a referee won\u2019t brandish a card so early in the game, regardless of how justified it is, so he sends his players out to act accordingly.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_184\" style=\"width: 318px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-184\" class=\"size-large wp-image-184\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/James-Milner-player-of-Liverpool_EUO_almonfoto-shutterstock-308x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"308\" height=\"400\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-184\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">almonfoto \/ shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The problem is that it works. The result is useful from Mourinho\u2019s point of view for two reasons: firstly it reduces to ability of one of our top players to cause his side problems, secondly it turn the atmosphere in the ground hostile. The latter fact might not seem like a bad thing, but you\u2019ve got to remember that Anfield is at its best when the crowd is fully behind the team rather than on the back of the referee. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I feel like we should be baying for blood at every possible opportunity. Yet the reality is that when the atmosphere turns negative that plays right into the hands of Mourinho and his Manchester United team. Would they prefer the Kop to be offering vociferous support to the Liverpool players or booing loudly every time the referee does anything?<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Lots of people pointing out LFC have lost 3\/3 vs Utd with Martin Atkinson in charge.<br \/>\nHe didn&#8217;t make Brad Jones dive the wrong way, you know.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BassTunedToRed\/status\/917422825769709574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 9, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\u201cutf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Some referees also relish the opportunity to prove that they\u2019re not a \u2018homer\u2019 and won\u2019t be influenced by the home crowd. Casting back to last season once more, the Football Association\u2019s inexplicable decision to give refereeing duties to Anthony Taylor, who was practically born in the shadow of Old Trafford, resulted in the man in the middle making virtually no decisions and giving every 50\/50 to the away team. This riled the Kop and instead of getting behind the team the entire ground was getting more and more annoyed with every decision he made. Had that noise been positive encouragement for the Reds rather than fury at the referee then we might have seen a different result. Whatever happens on Saturday, it\u2019s vital that we don\u2019t play into Mourinho\u2019s hands by going negative. Liverpool can beat Manchester United and, not for the first time, the crowd can play a part in that.<\/p>\n<h2>Everyone Needs To Be On The Ball<\/h2>\n<p>What happens in the stands is one thing, but it\u2019s obvious that what takes place on the pitch is the most important thing. When Manchester United came to Anfield last season Jos\u00e9 Mourinho did what he always does in big matches and parked the bus. It was as if the Red Devils had been told that they would be fined a week\u2019s wages if they ventured past the halfway mark. I see no reason why he won\u2019t opt for exactly the same tactics this time around. You can point to this summer\u2019s signing of Romelu Lukaku as proof of the fact that he\u2019s got an exciting attack this time around, but twelve months ago Zlatan Ibrahimovic was leading the line and it\u2019s not as if he underperformed for the Manchester club. The Portuguese manager will know that our defence will give away a chance or two, so he\u2019ll be happy for his side to bide their time.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Romelu Lukaku has now scored 5 goals in his last 3 games for Belgium in World Cup qualifying.<\/p>\n<p>Try and stop him right now. &#x1f525; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ONxQynEN22\">pic.twitter.com\/ONxQynEN22<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Squawka Football (@Squawka) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Squawka\/status\/917848449843908609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 10, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\u201cutf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>When he\u2019s been playing for Everton, Liverpool\u2019s defence has coped well with Romelu Lukaku. Whether that be Alberto Moreno keeping him surprisingly quiet when the striker was used wide on the right or Dejan Lovren not giving him a sniff when he\u2019s played through the middle, he struggled to do us any serious damage when he was on the other side of Stanley Park. I\u2019m expecting a different player this time around, though. He\u2019s been on fire so far this season, for both club and country. Jos\u00e9 Mourinho might like to pretend that he\u2019s got a whole hatful of tactics but at its most basic his football involves defending deep and hitting it long to a big man. It says something about his \u2018tactical genius\u2019 that Man United have spent more than half a billion quid since Alex Ferguson retired and yet the loss of Marouane Fellaini ahead of this game is a genuinely big blow to them.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_173\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-173\" class=\"size-large wp-image-173\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Dejan-Lovren-of-Liverpool_EUO_mooinblack-shutterstock-600x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Dejan-Lovren-of-Liverpool_EUO_mooinblack-shutterstock-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Dejan-Lovren-of-Liverpool_EUO_mooinblack-shutterstock-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Dejan-Lovren-of-Liverpool_EUO_mooinblack-shutterstock.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-173\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">mooinblack \/ shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s vital, therefore, that every single person in the Liverpool team is on top of their game. From a defensive point of view we\u2019ll certainly have our hands full and won\u2019t be able to afford any lapses in concentration. They can definitely do it, if the past is anything to go by. I was looking at the stats before we played Tony Pulis\u2019s West Brom last October and the Baggies had been involved in matches with thirteen, eleven and then twelve corners in their previous three Premier League games. I put a bet on there being over ten corners, only for the Reds to limit Pulis\u2019s team to just two corners during the ninety minutes. Knowing that set-pieces was their main form of attack, Liverpool refused to give them any ammunition. When it\u2019s focussed on a specific job, even our defence can do what it needs to from time to time! Marshalling Lukaku and not letting him bully our back four is vital to any success we might be able to achieve, therefore.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">This Liverpool vs United game could set the tone for both teams this season. Previous form isn&#8217;t gonna indicate anything. Its a fresh game.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Vignesh (@Vigu_Bailly) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Vigu_Bailly\/status\/918438533617954816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 12, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\u201cutf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the job ahead for the defence, then, but it\u2019s in attack where Liverpool\u2019s day will likely be made or lost. The Reds have been extraordinarily wasteful in recent weeks, taking 143 shots but scoring just seven goals in our last seven games. If there\u2019s one thing we know about a Jos\u00e9 Mourinho team it\u2019s that it won\u2019t be giving away chances for fun, so the likes of Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino will know that they need to be putting away any opportunities that they\u2019re presented with. If we play exactly as we\u2019ve been playing since we put four past Arsenal but are more clinical in the final third then there\u2019s no doubt in my mind that we could win comfortably. The problem hasn\u2019t been creating the chances, it\u2019s been finishing them. That\u2019s where we\u2019re struggled in the past and it can\u2019t be the case again on Saturday if we\u2019re hoping to give United a bloody nose.<\/p>\n<h2>United Haven\u2019t Been Tested &#8211; It\u2019s Time They Were<\/h2>\n<p>One of the biggest things about United\u2019s start to the season is that they really haven\u2019t been tested yet. In Premier League terms, these are the teams that they\u2019ve gone up against:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>West Ham United<\/li>\n<li>Swansea City<\/li>\n<li>Leicester City<\/li>\n<li>Stoke City<\/li>\n<li>Everton<\/li>\n<li>Southampton<\/li>\n<li>Crystal Palace<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With the exception of Stoke, Everton and Southampton, it wouldn\u2019t be a major surprise to see any of the other teams United have played so far involved in a relegation fight this season. Even Everton might well be down there if the board doesn\u2019t react quickly to Ronald Koeman\u2019s management of the side. It\u2019s interesting that the only points Mourinho\u2019s side has dropped so far this season came in the game against Stoke and that they could easily have dropped points against Southampton on another occasion. Wins against West Ham, Swansea, Leicester and Crystal Palace are the least a team going for the title can hope to achieve, so there\u2019s an extent to which the media has been getting a little bit carried away with United\u2019s start to the season, in my opinion.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Though Man United have successfully rolled aside all comers in the league so far, there is a sense that they haven&#8217;t truly been tested as yet and tougher fixtures lie ahead<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kerl (@heinkerl) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/heinkerl\/status\/914798227148468224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 2, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\u201cutf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>You can only beat what\u2019s in front of you, of course, and Liverpool definitely haven\u2019t done that. As much as United might not have been tested, they\u2019ve built up a head of steam and will be full of confidence heading into this clash. Liverpool supporters keep talking about the fact that they\u2019ve been playing poor teams, so it\u2019s vital that the Reds put their rivals under huge pressure and see how they react. I can easily see this one ending in a dire draw, just as I can see the Red Devils beating us and us beating them. It\u2019s the sort of game when form really does go out of the window, but have we got what it takes to react to our poor form and truly put United to the test?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At lunchtime on Saturday the Reds go up against Manchester United at Anfield in one of the most fiercely contested games in English football. For most Liverpool supporters this game matters even more than the derby, if for no other reason than that fixture hasn\u2019t been genuinely competitive since the Blues last won at Anfield in 1999. Man United, meanwhile, are rapidly approaching the point at which they\u2019ll not only have won more top-flight titles than us but also more trophies in general. There is a bitterness between the two sides that involves more than just footballing matters, with the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1055"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1055"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1055\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1056,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1055\/revisions\/1056"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}