A booking.........*sigh
I think all but the most deluded of United fans will be in agreement that Liverpool deserved to win.
Although it’s fair to say that all the goals could be considered soft and avoidable to a certain extent, the performance as a whole was a shambles and Liverpool were simply the better team on the day.
Admittedly I was a pessimist going in to the game. I had many fears about what sort of state the defence would be in without both Ferdinand and Vidic commanding the back line, and coupled with the fact United were going into the game at Anfield on the back of a defeat at Chelsea merely days earlier with an away record that has been less than stellar by United standards and it would be considered understandable that my expectations for the game were somewhat underwhelming.
Throughout the game United failed to establish themselves for any prolonged period of time and the one saving grace is that Hernandez pulled out a late consolation to make sure the dent in the goal difference was not so hefty.
And with that it has fallen upon me to bring five things that we could take away from the game.
1) The worst fears confirmed – No Ferdinand, No Vidic makes for serious problems
When one of the trusted pairing is missing, it is fair to say United are able to cope. In Ferdinand’s absence, Vidic has more than held his own, commanding the back four and taken on the role of captain with real professionalism. It was worrying to see Vidic get himself sent off out of frustration against Chelsea during the week, and left many United fans worrying if there would be any real strength for the game at Anfield and led many to speculate whether the predicted inclusion of Wes Brown would suffice.
It seems the fears were justified as all afternoon United struggled to cope with the pressure applied by the Liverpool attack and I felt that the leadership normally provided by Vidic was missing, without anyone truly willing to take it up, and this seemed to be compounded when tempers began to flare and actions were being made out of anger rather than maintaining any real composure. However for all the defensive frailties, they were not helped by a midfield that was outclassed on the day. For all the weakness that was shown, I do feel I ought to point out that in my opinion, Chris Smalling again showed an air of maturity in his play, and was able to cope with the pressure that big games such as this bring.
2) The return of Valencia cannot come soon enough
I, like many United fans, rate Valencia quite highly. His work ethic coupled with a quality cross and a rapid pace have made for a very effective player down the right wing in a far more traditional sense than we have become used to in recent years, with the likes of Ronaldo and Nani tending to play anywhere in their attacking roles. In truth, I am not expecting Valencia to perform miracles and suddenly deliver the calibre of performance he would regularly provide for United after coming back from such an horrific injury.
In fact, I always have a fear that players who sustain these kind of injuries may not come back the same player they once were. However, it must also be said that Valencia’s attitude has often been commended and I feel that no matter what, we can expect maximum effort on his part when he does return. I am not one for believing he should be rushed back after only recently taking up training, but considering Park is still missing having sustained an injury and having seen arguably the player of the season in Nani being stretchered off after a horror tackle from Carragher, it would be fair to say that the sooner that Valencia returns to action, the better the outlook may be.
3) The midfield is lacking
Nobody can doubt the contribution that Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have provided this season, and indeed their entire careers, to United.
They have been the symbols of professionalism at an age when many careers would be put out to pasture. However, to expect them to be providing top drawer performances week in week out at this stage of their careers is perhaps wishful thinking and the need to find the talent to replace them is becoming ever more evident. Michael Carrick’s new contract left many perplexed when there was strong speculation to suggest that his days at the club were numbered the belief in his ability to consistently perform had diminished. Remaining fairly anonymous all game, his contribution was minimal at best and was made to look mediocre by the far more energetic and clinical Liverpool midfield.
In fact I was more than surprised to see Darren Fletcher had been left on the bench for this game. Fletcher revels in these fixtures, breaking up play and generally adding a stability to the defence behind him. Although the true effect of one player might be questionable on the whole, I do believe his inclusion certainly would have done no harm in adding strength to a midfield that was made to look off the pace.
4) United – Liverpool games will always get tempers flaring
The game seemed to be just as much about arguments and bickering as much as it was about the football. The players seem to take the attitude on to the pitch that would always accompany the hype of a match up of such intense rivalry. We always commend the players when they do their best for representing the club and take pride in what this fixture means to them. However, there’s a fine line between being passionate, and giving your all, and allowing it to descend in to immature actions and constant clashing of heads.
In games like this, in the heat of the moment, it is quite easy to let frustration take place and tempers to get the best of them. I think the overall atmosphere of the game was showcased best when we saw the ever-cool Van Der Sar run most of the pitch to get involved in the backlash that entailed Carragher’s horror tackle on Nani. And on that note it should be pointed out that once again, the lack of consistency by the referee was there for all to see. I am not going to entertain the notion that he was biased one way or the other, but most will agree that on most occasions Carragher would have been sent off for a tackle that led to Nani being taken off on a stretcher.
The fact that it is reported that he went to the United dressing room to apologise for it, though admittedly admirable, shows just how reckless a challenge it was and how a booking was probably not the card warranted in that situation. Although it must be said that some may argue that Rafael was lucky to stay on the pitch after reacting to a lunge from Maxi by then going in two-footed on Lucas. A poorly controlled bit of play where tempers were allowed to boil over.
5) Hernandez can always be relied upon for goals
On an afternoon that added fuel to the argument that United are seriously lacking this season, it added some comfort that Hernandez still kept working away and managed to sneak a consolation goal on an otherwise dreary day. Whenever called upon this season, we have seen Hernandez use his pace and movement to great effect and poaching goals when they are needed most. One gets the sense that to him, every goal is worth scoring and it is a quality that is sure to give him the possibility of a great future leading the United attack.
United are going through a difficult spell at the moment, 3 defeats in the last 5 games is a run that some would deem a “crisis” all too quickly. Without doubt Sir Alex Ferguson will be sure to correct these issues, hopefully in time for the crucial return leg of the upcoming Champion’s League tie in the coming week. The fact that United remain top despite their shortcomings these season epitomises just how open the Premier League has been this season and how fortunate it is that Arsenal themselves seem to slip up when it matters most. However, United cannot continue to rely on their rivals own faults if they are to succeed this season.
To sum up: a difficult afternoon for the United faithful and a tough week for the club as a whole.
Why not give Zayd a follow on twitter and see what else he’s got to say for himself @Zayd90
admirably true but the ref was consistent not sending off both Carra and Rafael. If he’d sent off Carra but not Rafael, it would be inconsistent. Rafael reacting to a challenge from Maxi with a 2 foot lunge is not an excuse for a foul like that. Also Nani was poor throughout and I was wondering when Hernandez would come in. In any case, Utd wouldn’t have won anything playing like this and Fergie knows there were no positives apart from Hernandez determination. The rest of the 10 on the field were a disgrace.
haha cry baby got up to complain then fell back on the floor to cry again.
u got f****d Up
Good job mate. At least this time you could write something sensible.
Nice to know I have a loyal reader of my insensible rants.
We got played off the park good and proper today. The only ones who were making any effort were Smalling and Chico, the rest looked like they couldn’t be bothered. Ability or not, you would have thought they would have realised that they have to be giving 100% in every game at this stage of the season. Hopefully we can still turn it round but if we lose the league we’ve only got ourselves to blame. And why the hell Carrick has signed another contract is beyond me.
“And why the hell Carrick has signed another contract is beyond me.”
Because nobody else wants him.
Firstly, I have said all season that United have been playing poorly and were riding a crest brought about largely by the ineptitude of their major rivals, all of whom have put in some woeful performances against lowly opposition.
Secondly, I said some time ago that United were due a major fall because of an imminent congested fixture list of games against top flight rivals – Chelsea being allowed by a corrupt/inept FA to defer a game under questionable circumstances adding to the situation. Arsenal clearly have the easier passage home, and will comfortable win the title this year.
Thirdly, the frailties in midfield were a time bomb waiting to happen. They’ve been there for the last few years, and the club has refused to do anything about it, instead trundling out old stagers like Giggs and Scholes or handing the duties to the likes of a work horse such as Fletcher or a waste of spacer like Carrick. It is no coincidence that United have suffered dearly in recent weeks while Anderson has been off the pitch with injury. While still up and down in form, he is the one player with the clear potential and industry to really get the engine room running when he’s on song.
Fourth, it was a no-brainer that Martin Atkinson’s deplorable display and double standards of last week would reverberate in this game with the absence of Vidic, and so it proved. So basically the idiot nobbled United twice. One wonders just how much Ferguson has really handicapped United with his past behaviour against referees, even though most of it at times was deserved.
Fifth. As shown in the game against Chelsea, and in today’s game, the officiating at this level is abysmal, yet not only will the FA do nothing about it, but it continues to staunchly stand by and watch the game reduced to a shambles by the referees. How Carragher escaped sending off is beyond description, particularly given the result on Nani. Liverpool supporters quite rightly state that Raphael also escaped a sending off, but that’s easy to state in hindsight when the entire nature of the game would have changed had Carragher gone off. Added to which Raphael reacted to a nasty incident that again should have warranted severe censure.
Lastly, there are obviously people in the corridors of power who clearly want the championship trophy to be held by London clubs, rather than upstart northerners who’ve dominated proceedings for far too long. How else do you explain the FA standing by and doing nothing while Chelsea cancel a game in conditions that other London clubs found decent enough to play in? Or how the makeup game fell neatly into place for them at a time when they were given nearly a week to prepare at their leisure for the contest, while United barely had three days to recuperate from their previous game? Why is a team that a decimated by injuries and poor form, and at United’s mercy, allowed to field players who were not only out injured earlier, but also allowed to included players acquired AFTERWARDS? Obviously the way to go in the EPL is to find reasons to cancel games when things aren’t going well (weather, bomb threats, ‘mysterious’ vandalism of the pitch) and have them deferred until things are looking up. To top it all off, Martin Atkinson then proceeded to put in the most one-sided and atrocious display seen for many a year – and received no censure at all from the FA or the referees ruling body. As for the FA, what happened to its much vaunted authority to take action retrospectively against players not cited by referees? Chelsea’s Brazilian defender (should I say out and out thug?) could have been sent off twice for his vicious hits on Hernandez and Rooney. With all the hullabaloo over Rooney’s elbow, the FA’s silence on the other issue is absolutely deafening.
Had any of this occurred in Italian football or elsewhere in Europe the cries of corruption, match-fixing, and bribery would be ringing out everywhere. Yet no one seems to question anything in Britain regarding the cataclysmic displays and double standards put on display by match officials and the game’s ruling body.
I for one have decided to opt out of watching the remaining fixtures for this season, because it’s abundantly clear that there are rules for some and rules for others, and that the notion of a level playing field for all concerned is an utterly ridiculous concept in light of recent events. Football needs cleaning up at all levels, with culpability from the all members of the FA right down to the match officials.
Otherwise I think United would be best served breaking away from the EPL, together with one or two of the other teams, and forming a European championship where they can set the rules, utilize the technology the game has long been crying out for, and usher the game into the 21st century, rather than the 1800’s where creaky old boards like the FA and FIFA want to keep it so they can hold on to their power base.
Love them or hate them, when it comes to sport America’s big four do everything to ensure parity, even-handedness, and error-free results when it comes to officiating in their respective sports. It’s not always perfect, but the results are a million miles removed from the crap we are fed week in and week out in the UK. Video adjudication, 4th officials in video booths, appeals processes, sin binning, post match retribution for incidents missed by officials, etc, all could be brought in to help move the game along and clean it up.
HI Zayd, good piece, I would like to add the following.
Our first goal was engineered by sublime dribbling skill which makes me think its great to have a new &vibrant No.9. Neither Ferdinand nor Vidic like or can handle tricky skillful players
Our second goal came about through shear pressure exerted on manure’s defenders.
Our third goal was due to a brilliant free kick which was initially saved. The presence of the missing defenders would have made no difference.
If teams don’t fear manure and actually have a go like Blackpool or Wolves they will reap the rewards.
2- Valencia is a good player but is not match fit, so we shall see
3 – Their midfield is overrated.
4 – This is how a game of football should be played with skill, passion & courage. This is man;s game , no time for cry babies
5 – Hernandez is a good player, with the final whistle so close we went to sleep, so Arsenal fans (SORRY)
To sum up : It will be a difficult month for manure faithful as they will have to get used to seeing their team losing, and oh what was that I can’t hear, HIM being quiet, thank fk for that (please don’t talk, don’t give any more interviews), otherwise your NEMESIS will ram them down your throat again.
YNWA
Because of course referring to United as manure is the mature thing to do.
We learned that Manchester United fans are prone to photoshopping to make injuries look worse than they are. Have you seen the nonsense floating around on Red Cafe?
Nani may have been taken off on a stretcher, but only after getting up and running ten yards to remonstrate with the ref so he can’t have been that badly injured. He should really have been booked for dragging the ref’s arm.
The best thing Carra made is give nani a gift hehehe cry cry
Hope u gonna be will soon but not now go rest and after finish the league hehehehehhehehe cry cry cry baby
Decent article. I am looking forward to Valencia coming back too but I am skeptical about his ability to contribute after being out so long. I have read that Carrager went to check on Nani at the half, I will give it up, that was a classy move and shows more brains and heart then most of the Liverpool fans have shown on these message boards. The better team won today. The title is up for grabs and I don’t think anyone will be able to predict where it will land this season.