Terrace Talk

Liverpool vs. Manchester United. A game that needs no introduction really, it is the clash between to the two most successful football clubs in England’s history and it’s a game that I want to see United win more than any other. The victor of this match undeniably gets bragging rights and perhaps more importantly, a massive confidence boost that can usually see them winning the next three or four games that follow.

As me and two of my mates (who sadly support Liverpool) watched the pre-game show eagerly anticipating the match, I was quietly confident. Ok, we hadn’t had a fantastic start to the season, hell, it hadn’t even been a decent start, but we all know that if there is one team who is capable from bouncing back from a disappointing performance it’s United. Not to mention the addition of Berbatov to an already talented frontline, United just looked, on paper at least, too good for a Liverpool side without their two best players, Gerrard and Torres. When the line up was announced and I heard that United were in fact going to play 4-3-3, with a formidable trio of Rooney, Berbatov and Tevez up front, I rather gloatingly remarked to one of the guys watching the match with me, “Imagine Skrtel’s face when Rooney, Berba and Tevez are running at them.”

Well if you were to just watch the first 20 minutes, I think you’d find that it was probably a fair comment. United opened far stronger than Liverpool and we attacked with intent, fantastic off the ball movement and graceful skill. Such efforts paid off quite quickly when we were denied a penalty for handball and, on a more positive note, Berbatov’s first real pass for United resulted in a goal for Tevez, after a sublime cut back from the touch line into space which Tevez sprang into, with a clinical finish, giving Reina no hope. My quiet confidence quickly became outspoken and after seeing the ease with which the first goal was created I was sure we would wrap up the game.

Manchester United – 1
Liverpool – 0

The rest of the first 20 minutes seemed to support such thoughts as United kept the ball locked in Liverpool’s half. It was United that dominated and Liverpool just could not find one of their own, constantly giving up possession and unable to push United back. The Kop was silent and Liverpool was waiting for a second wind, which would inevitably come sooner or later given how early we scored. However, with no real chances created, it was an opportunity missed to put Liverpool 2-0 down and secure a victory early, and an opportunity which would come back to haunt us.

A series of free kicks, some of which were rather dubious, seemed to change the pattern of the game. With the ball no longer locked in Liverpool’s half the next five minutes were rather free flowing. Our defending wasn’t great and the lack of protection for the back four saw our defenders being pulled out of position and Rooney being forced deep to defend, however we were hardly pinned back and the game flowed from end to end until the 26th minute, when disaster struck. Alonso’s shot which deflected off Evra forced Van Der Sar off his line, leading him to punch the ball, horribly, into Brown, resulting in an own goal. The man who had scored United’s first at Old Trafford last season had scored Liverpool’s first through no fault of his own.

Manchester United – 1
Liverpool – 1

Another defensive error resulted in another goal conceded and unfortunately this was a trend which was set to continue. The own goal resulted in a massive loss of confidence, both on my part and more importantly on the team’s. The last 20 minutes saw a complete role reversal of the first twenty. United were stuck in their own half unable to get the ball out, bar one attack which should have resulted in a second for Tevez, after a sublime ball from Rooney. The Kop was now roaring and Liverpool had got their second wind. United just could not keep hold of the ball, giving the ball away with inaccurate passes, hopeless long balls and conceding possession to throw ins much too often. All I wanted was for the ref to blow his whistle for half time. Carrick, who had been injured in a tackle by Mascherano, which went with no foul, was no longer able to provide ample support for the back four and Scholes just did not have the pace to keep up with Liverpool’s midfield, leaving Anderson stranded in the back line with no one being able to link up the defence and the attack, the result of which, was a series of long balls which Berbatov and Tevez had little hope of winning. Their chances of course were not helped by poor refereeing decisions, which failed to show consistency, in not giving Berbatov and Tevez fouls for Skrtel and Carragher’s rather rough handed tactics, climbing all over our two strikers, while he gladly gave decisions the other way for much the same situation. The half time whistle finally came and I could breathe again, I had no doubt that Sir Alex would make the necessary changes to the team to allow for more protection on the wings and a greater width to our play.

I am not often critical of Sir Alex, and I have spoken of my gratitude for what he has done for the club and have defended him on more than one occasion. However, on Saturday he was wrong not to make any real tactical changes at half time. I can understand why he chose 4-3-3 at the start of the game, it’s an incredibly exciting prospect to use all three of Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov, however, the last twenty minutes of the first half proved that there was need for change. The defence needed more protection from the midfield and we needed more width in our attack. Giggs coming on for Carrick did not give the defence more protection nor did it give us more width. Giggs effectively became the third striker and Rooney was pushed back into midfield (again). Haregreaves ought to have come on for Carrick at half time and in my opinion Nani or Giggs should have come on for Scholes, leaving Anderson and Haregreaves in the middle, Berbatov and Tevez up front and Nani/Giggs and Rooney on the wings, resulting in a much better balanced 4-4-2.

As a result of this tactical mistake, the second half started much like the end of the first half. We were dominated by a team who weren’t playing especially well and we looked powerless against it. Liverpool managed to maintain the pressure for most of the half while we suffered from the same problems that we did in the first. No width and no defensive cover. Balls were continually bombed up to the front line and with each passing minute I became more frustrated. We were not defending like we did last year. There were too many gaps, and we were outnumbered in midfield and in our defensive half.

Giggs came closest for us with a stunning volley that got me out of my seat and I hoped it would be the catalyst we needed to start performing again. Sadly, the fantastic save from Reina that denied Giggs’ brilliant effort resulted in a corner that was so poor, it only lead to more pressure being put on our defence as Liverpool speedily broke away. Finally Liverpool got their winner, but again, it was not due to any individual brilliance, but rather yet another defensive error. That’s three in two games for those of you keeping score at home. Mascherano managed to get the ball around Giggs, which really should not have been a problem, as Giggs managed to get his body between the Argentinean and the ball, shielding it from the by-line in hope of winning a goal kick, where it would have been much safer to just give the corner. Mascherano managed to scoop the ball away and play it to Babel, whose miss kick put the ball into the ground and saw it, rather luckily, bounce over Brown and Ferdinand’s heads. The rest is history.

United – 1
Liverpool – 2

From our own kick off Keane managed to get the ball, only to be brought down by a professional foul which resulted in a yellow for Vidic and minutes later, our Serb defender managed to get booked again for a rather rash attempt to head the ball. The second yellow again highlighted the ref’s inconsistency who failed to even give foul’s against Skrtel and Carragher for leading with their own elbow’s in many aerial contests, and their terrible challenges on our strikers.

However, to blame such a performance on the referee would be both wrong and stupid. Yes, we should have had a penalty and yes Liverpool were given many fouls where we were not, but ultimately the faults were on our side of the fence. Our poor defending, lack of width and lack of tactical versatility cost us dearly on Saturday. It was a sad day for all United fans, and one I am sure will not live in our memories for very long.

Thankfully it won’t have to. With Villareal coming up next week, I have full confidence that we will bounce back from this disappointing defeat and get some real momentum going before our clash with Chelsea.