Manchester Untied vs. Liverpool: The Talking Points
By Kevin Kelly
Sunday’s clash with Manchester United was billed as one of the biggest meetings with the eternal rivals for decades. Indeed, not often are both Manchester United and Liverpool competing for similar honours. The pre-match You’ll Never Walk Alone was raucous; the fans and players were expected to perform on what is consistently the biggest game of the English football calendar. The problem, of course, was neither really turned up, with Manchester United comfortably turning over Liverpool on a deeply frustrating day for the Reds, marred by Steven Gerrard’s red card.
System’s Deficiencies Exposed Once More: Not often has a change of formation by a manager been so openly discussed in the media, especially in a broad sense. Liverpool’s 3-4-2-1, deployed first when Liverpool travelled to Old Trafford in December, has been praised as the prime reason for the Reds’ gargantuan turnaround in form.
It primarily allowed Liverpool to deployed two attacking midfielders close to a striker; thus re-implementing the fluid attack of last season. Secondly, it slowly built a stern defence; one which has key six away clean sheet in a row – a record which goes back to 1972.
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Since then though, the system has slowly been shown as infallible. Although all systems are flawed, it has recently needed Brendan Rodgers to change it’s dynamic at half-time against Swansea to rescue the three points, and was at the root of Sunday’s loss against Manchester United.
Pertinently Liverpool lacked intensity in Sunday’s loss, but the space between Alberto Moreno and Mamadou Sakho was crucial to Manchester United scoring both goals. Moreno, whether it’s naivety or the system unfairly exposing his youth, was caught napping.
Liverpool certainly shouldn’t scrap the three man defence. It has broken defensive records and one loss in 14 Premier League games shouldn’t allow alarm bells to get out of hand, but it’s certainly an area in which Brendan Rodgers should ponder over the international break.
Gerrard’s Moment of Madness Indicative of Ugly End: For someone who grew up with Steven Gerrard as more than a captain, but as a genuine childhood hero in the realest sense, finds his frighteningly quick dissipating presence on the field harrowing viewing.
Indeed, unless Liverpool lift the FA Cup this season, or unlikely wrestle back a Champions League place, Gerrard’s final memories etched into Liverpool history will be the slip and latterly the stamp. Gerrard’s hero complex has been written about far better than I could in the past, but continually needs reasserting as his personality unravels in his final hour.
In the linked article, writer Ken Early’s brilliantly describes Gerrard as having ‘his barometer set to hurricane’. And it’s true, Gerrard’s style has always been at odds with anything that isn’t set to 100; getting it done as fast as possible.
And that’s where yesterday, if only partly, starts to explain matters. Having witnessed a truly pitiful midfield performance from Joe Allen and the captain-in-waiting Jordan Henderson Gerrard likely knew Herrera and co. ad a far too comfortable 45 minutes in Anfield for a Man United midfield.
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If he thought they needed a kicking he was right, but his petulance – perhaps more specifically his frustration – boiled over and ultimately left Liverpool with six rounds to go with one hand tied behind their back.
While Gerrard’s reputation won’t truly wane by those who matter – sensible Liverpool fans – his ending has never looked as bleak – and necessary as it does on this Monday evening.
Reds Revival May Have Come too Late: There is much praise due for Brendan Rodgers rebooting the season in December following months of horrendous form. Indeed, in the eyes of (most) fans he has rightly shown enough to be given another go next season. Yet with yesterday’s loss to Manchester United it signalled they might not have enough to secure Champions League qualification for the second year running.
Before the trip To Old Trafford Liverpool sat in 9th, accruing just 21 points from a possible 45. They were lucky in truth to be sitting so high, the poor quality of the league this year helping them out.
Things can change quickly but the feeling remains that Liverpool’s stunning run from the New Year – collecting 33 out of a possible 39 points before Sunday, may not severely undermined by the form before the change.
The trip to Arsenal to follow could all but end Liverpool’s hopes, with a five point gap possibly extending to eight, as Man United play Aston Villa at home on the same weekend.
Liverpool have 24 points to play four, and in all likely hood need at least 18 points to have a chance of qualifying for The Champions League. The margin for error has become minute, with the Reds now facing a do or die run between now and May.