Liverpool FC vs. Manchester United: Combined XI

Liverpool and Manchester United remain England’s unrelenting global behemoths. Their stature – especially Liverpool – has not only transcended time, but fought against mediocrity for over two decades. When Manchester United visit Anfield on Sunday the teams for both more or less pick themselves. But who would start in a combined XI of both sides? Kevin Kelly takes a go here at putting a team together in a 3-4-3 formation based on current form for the Premier League season.

David De Gea (Goalkeeper): Ultimately one of the few choices where no delegation or thought was required. Despite Simon Mignolet’s vastly improved form in goal since being dropped for the clash at Old Trafford in December, fundamentally there is no contest between the two.

The Spaniard is Spain’s number 1 in waiting, and has been the lynchpin for Manchester United sustaining such good form despite largely looking a poor team. De Gea has played in 29 Premier League games this season (2610 minutes), not missing a minute of football.

The Manchester United stalwart has kept 10 Premier League clean sheets this season (Mignolet has 12; Southampton’s Frazer Forster has 13 while Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois has eight). Interestingly Mignolet and De Gea both have the same distribution accuracy at 68%, ahead of Courtois (60%) and Forster (62%).

  Emre Can (Right centre-back): While fundamentally a central midfield player Emre Can’s inaugural season in England has seen him bring back the Libero position with a unique twist. Positioned on the right of a back 3 Can has excelled for Liverpool, not only providing an assured option for Simon Mignolet to pass it out too, but also to move the ball up into midfield when Liverpool are being pressed.  

Can wins 2.07 tackles per 90 for Liverpool, including 1.93 interceptions. Where he truly excels of course is on the ball; completing 83% of his passes, while 30.53 of his 50.53of his average passes per 90 will go forward. Can, even predominantly from a defensive standpoint, averages 0.62 key passes and 70.97% successful take ons per 90 minutes; another easy decision to make the combined XI.

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Martin Skrtel (Centre-back): Signed in the summer of 2008 the Slovakian central-defender has continually divided opinion on Merseyside. Yet this season will go down as one of the few of his Anfield career in which there can be little doubt over Skrtel’s importance to Liverpool’s ever-improving defensive prowess.

Skrtel’s stats are unsurprisingly unrelenting, making 1.27 blocks per 90, more than 0.40 for Phil Jones and 0.77 for Chris Smalling. Skrtel makes 10.38 clearances per 90, more than 7.59 for Phil Jones and 8.39 for Christ Smalling. Simplified yet illustrative; Skrtel is a no holds barred defender, whose new streamlined centre-of-a-three role has seen him thrive.

Mamadou Sakho (Left centre-back): It may seem odd that despite for nearly five months Liverpool’s defence was maligned to beyond embarrassment for Liverpool fans. Yet to include its core defence in a combined XI was a no brainer. Indeed, it showcases the near unfathomable turnaround since late December.  

Sakho’s season – and perhaps Liverpool career – looked over before it could really get going, when he walked out of Anfield on September 27^th for the Merseyside Derby when he was left out of Brendan Rodgers squad altogether.

While the decision to marginalise Sakho in itself still seems out, so was the Frenchman’s petulance at the time, especially given the magnitude of the occasion on the day itself. Despite those unsavoury memories, the following months in which Sakho was gained a consistent place in the Liverpool back 3 gave given him a genuine chance to become The Premier League’s best defender. Indeed, Sakho’s skillset lay between that of Emre Can and Martin Skrtel. Sakho aligns slick and progressive passing with powerful defending.

Jordan Henderson (Right wing-back): While undoubtedly one of The Premier League’s leading central-midfielders in 2015, the disparity of quality options for the right-sided role leave Mr. Utility to once again serve his purpose.

Antonio Valencia has been terrible for Man United this season, leaving him out of the running; while Rafael has been marginalised for the Red-Devil’s. Lazar Markovic has been inconsistent at best while Jordon Ibe’s encouraging stint in the role was sadly cut short due to knee injury, also ruling him out of the running.

Henderson has played 28 times for Liverpool this season, scoring five and assisting seven, which results in a direct contribution to a goal every 208 minutes of Premier League football; certainly something to work on for next season.

Lucas Leiva (Defensive-midfield): Although injured and been out of action in recent weeks, fans shouldn’t be quick to forget how influential their Brazilian defensive midfielder was in the early stages of their recent revival.

Lucas brought a base for both the current solidity and subtle fluidity of play. He has played fourteen times for Liverpool this league season; averaging 3.5 successful tackles and 2.15 interceptions per 90 minutes. He keeps the ball really well; averaging 86% per 90. Of the 767 passes he’s played in the league this season, 516 were played forward; subtly illustrating his effectiveness to Liverpool’s progress and fluid play.

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Daley Blind (Defensive-midfield): Similarly to Lucas, Blind has suffered through injury this season, yet has been Manchester United’s best exponent of a fluid and sensible possession game. The Dutchman has recycled the ball well, having played 17 times this season and averaging 745 forward passes (of which he’s played 1093 overall).

Blind is astute defensively; averaging 1.93 successful tackles and 3.78 interceptions per 90. Blind also averages 2.68 clearances per 90, while has found the back of the net twice, including one assist, showcasing a quietly rounded game for a defensive midfielder-cum-fullback.

Ashley Young (Left wing-back): Another player who showcases the peaks and troughs of the game. Derided as all things bad for David Moyes last season, Young as often flourished for Man United this season in a relatively unorthodox left wing-back role.

Young has played 17 times in The Premier League this season (1365 minutes), completing more take ons per 90 (1.78), than Luke Shaw (0.89), and Alberto Moreno (0.58). This of course illustrates the merits of playing a winger in a wing-back role. Liverpool have learned as much by playing Jordon Ibe and Raheem Sterling on the right wing-back role this season.

Raheem Sterling (Right attacking-midfield): Curiously anytime Sterling has featured in the right sided role behind the striker in Liverpool’s set up he hasn’t necessarily impressed or specifically played up to his potential.

Yet it would be impossible to leave Liverpool’s European Golden Boy out of such a team. Recently shuffled between wing-back and centre-forward Sterling is the symbol of Brendan Rodgers versatile Liverpool side.

The Jamaican-born winger has scored six Premier League goals this season, along with seven assists, which equate to a direct contribution to a goal every 179 minutes. This is marginally better than Juan Mata who contributes every 197 minutes (3 assists and 5 goals).

Philippe Coutinho (Left attacking-midfield): Once Liverpool’s Mr. Inconsistent, Coutinho is now Liverpool’s Mr. Consistently Mercurial. The Brazilian number 10 has scored four goals this Premier League – including the notable stunners against both Southampton and Manchester City. He’s assisted four times too; though a figure he’d like to improve upon.

Coutinho continues to surprise defensively, having one 36 tackles this season, averaging 1.63 per 90. Coutinho is minutely more progressive than even Raheem Sterling, completing 3.22 take ons per game, compared to Sterling with 3.21. Without doubt for many, Coutinho is Liverpool’s player of the season, today picking up his 3^rd consecutive player of the month for Liverpool, as voted by Liverpool fans online.

Wayne Rooney (Centre-forward): Made Manchester United captain in the summer soon after being made England captain Rooney’s rise pointed toward a season of leading the Red-Devil’s resurrection under Louis Van Gaal.

The transition from David Moyes’ mess to Louis Van Gaal’s sophisticated side has met many roadblocks, one being where to play Wayne Rooney in lieu of Falcao’s arrival (and busty wage packet), James Wilson’s emergence and Robin Van Persie’s presence.

Playing in midfield hasn’t necessarily been a disaster, but it’s been one more example of Rooney’s unfair positional marginalisation throughout his career. Nevertheless in recent weeks Man United’s captain has been moved back to centre-forward and has subsequently thrived. Rooney has scored 11 goals and assisted seven times this season in the league, contributing to a goal every 146 minutes of play.