Charlie Klein
Liverpool versus Manchester United is the best rivalry is professional sports. It is more passionate than Yankees Red Sox, matches more evenly based on history than Celtics Lakers, and is more regionally defined than Ohio State Michigan.
For all of you new European football fans, I will break it down like this. Manchester United and Liverpool are the two most successful teams in the history of English football. Liverpool has won five European Championships and has appeared in the final of the Champions League twice in the past five years. Liverpool has also won the English League 18 times. Manchester United has won three European Championships and has appeared in the final of the Champions league twice in the past two years. United has also won 18 League titles, including three straight Barclays Premier League championships. Liverpool has not won a league title since the introduction of the English Premier League in 1992.
This weekend the enemies face each other for the first time this season in the dreary town of Liverpool. Neither team enters this game in spectacular form, although it is clear which team would rather this game come at a later date on the fixture list. Liverpool have lost their last four matches in all competitions and looked completely uninspiring in every game. Manchester United come into Anfield unbeaten in their last 11 matches. While United have not looked great doing it, they have managed to grind out the results and sit atop the Premier League whilst Liverpool sulk in eighth.
Anfield has been in shambles this season with the level of criticism of all things Liverpool has reached unprecedented levels. The team's lack of success has led to criticism of everyone from the stewards to the American owners George Gillet and Tom Hicks. Manager Rafa Benitez is received some due criticism about his transfer signings following the Merseysiders' inability to win matches without their two world class players, Steven Gerrard (C) and Fernando Torres. His most expensive signing from the last window has yet to feature in a Liverpool shirt due to injury and his other big buy Glen Johnson has not been a consistent fixture in the Liverpool defense. Additionally, Benitez's rotation policy is beginning to be recognized as fallacious based on the fact that Liverpool do not have the squad depth to effectively carry out the strategy. The Scousers have also been victims of rotten luck, suffering defeat to Sunderland at the weekend from a beach ball thrown onto the pitch by a young Liverpool fan which caused Darren Bent's shot to ricochet away from Pepe Reina and into the goal.
Liverpool have been given a ray of hope coming into the biggest game of the season for them as Fernando Torres is expected to start. Torres owned Nemanja Vidic last season in the second fixture of the United Liverpool derby and ultimately brought about Vidic's sending off. The Scousers are still expected to be without captain Steven Gerrard in midfield which will definitely weaken their chances.
Meanwhile 34 miles to the northwest, Manchester United find themselves in the utter opposite position of their bitterest rivals. Unbeaten in 11 with matchless squad depth, Sir Alex Ferguson has a bevy of options available to him before Sunday's clash. Wayne Rooney remains a major doubt following the calf injury he suffered during England's World Cup Qualifier versus the Ukraine. Darren Fletcher is also an injury concern for Sir Alex as he could miss this fixture due to a groin injury. United this season have been the epitome of the phrase 'gritty champion' having been able to grind out results in spite of their form not being optimal. Such a derby match could bring out the best in United, and I fully expect them to take their chance on Sunday to knock Liverpool out of the title race.
Luis Antonio Valencia has been in stunning form of late, having scored two goals in his last two games.
His goal against Bolton is the pick of the two, and definitely merits a watch. Valencia appears to be settling into life at United after a few shaky performances to start the season. While I do not think he is 'the next Ronaldo' because no one could be that good, he offers some similar qualities and adds a serious commitment to playing on both sides of the midfield line that Ronaldo never did.
As a United fan it is my hope that we thrash Liverpool 5-0 and send them to the depths of the Premier League title race. However, my wishes as a fan are rarely carried out exactly like how I envision them. This match ought to be close, although I expect United to eventually pull away and win 3-1.
Probable Starting XI
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Carragher, Insua, Babel, Benayoun, Lucas, Mascherano, Kuyt, Torres
Manchester United: Van Der Sar, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Neville, Valencia, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Owen, Berbatov.
And who scores the winner, this little girl has the answer.
Saying that Liverpool v Man U is the best rivalry in pro sports is simply incorrect. River Plate v Boca Jrs. is by far the most intense, and Yanks Sox are a close second. In England, Liverpool is far more heated with Everton than they ever will be with Man U. If both teams weren't top 4 teams, there wouldn't be a rivalry at all.
ReplyDeleteJustin, its the best rivalry in Europe at any rate. Boca and River are probably the best in the world. United and Pool are more intense than Yankees Red Sox, and that is coming from a friend of mine who has attended both. The Merseyside Derby does not make any of the lists that I found while doing work for this article. The geographic proximity makes this more than just a battle of the top four. Combine that with Sir Alex's hatred of Liverpool and the knocking them off their fucking perch comments makes this a top five rivalry in sports.
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