Key events
Pete gets in touch: “My heart can’t cope with any more of United’s chaosball. Is even the vaguest attempt at positional discipline too much to ask for today?”
When Manchester United and Liverpool meet, the regrettable undercurrent of tragedy chanting is often a factor. Jurgen Klopp has made another call for it to stop.
Jurgen Klopp spoke to Sky: “We have to be ready to face the specific things they bring on the pitch. It’s the normal football challenges. You have to understand the occasion, we know that
“We don’t make a big fuss of anything. We don’t watch games together. Of the three teams, the other two probably expect the last one to win. We have to play the game anyway.”
Richard Hirst gets in touch: “Surely shaggy hair was more Cavalier than Roundhead? Ten Hag has more of the Roundhead look, which might point to imminent difficulties between them. Though neither of them appears to embody the classic Sellers and Yeatman summing up of the two tribes.”
BSJ looks like Richard Harris when he played Cromwell.
AA BB says: “If he fixes up his hair a bit neater and buys some decent robes, he’s The Sun King’s eminence gris. I think he’s bendy enough to be in the right ears.”
What’s at stake? The title race, after both Manchester City and Arsenal won on Saturday.
Bruno Fernandes speaks to Sky: “We play against a big team that has a lot of qualities. It’s going to be a tough, intense game. These games against Liverpool always are.”
And so does Virgil van Dijk: “We have to do better than we did in the cup. You have to shut it out completely anyway, whether we play first, second or third. Everyone knows how big this game is but we have to stay calm and play our football like we have all season.”
Last time out: Alexis Mac Allister the star man, and the night that Cole Palmer haunted the club he once supported.
Justin Kavanagh is at it: “A good chance today for Liverpool to claw back several of that 9-goal advantage that Arsenal enjoy in the goal difference column: If they can just find two more than they did at Anfield last year, they’ll be in gravy.”
Yours truly did the MBM on this one, and I confess, I fully lost count at one point.
If Liverpool’s situation is clear then United’s is getting worrisome. They’re in danger of blowing the chance to play in the Europa League, let alone Champions League.
Two changes for United after the Chelsea game amid their defensive crisis, with Willy Kambwala, coming in for the injured Raphael Varane. Jonny Evans is also injured. Marcus Rashford replaces Antony.
Three changes for Liverpool after beating Sheffield United in midweek, and they make for a very strong team: Jarell Quansah, Andy Robertson and Wataru Endo in, with Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch going out.
The teams
Manchester United: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Kambwala, Dalot; Casemiro, Mainoo; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund. Subs: Bayindir, Amrabat, Mount, Eriksen, Diallo, Antony, Forson, Amass, Ogunneye.
Liverpool: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Endo; Salah, Nunez, Diaz. Subs: Adrián, Gomez, Konaté, Jones, Gakpo, Elliott, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Danns.
Big Sir Jim is already at Old Trafford. Was discussing with colleagues what BSJ might have been in a previous era. We came up with a few scenarios. With those craggy yet well-preserved looks and that shaggy hair, you could see him as a Roundhead general in the English Civil War or perhaps a northern warlord in medieval times, with chest plate, scabbard and broadsword, master of all he surveys after decades of fighting for territory with rival barons.
Liverpool’s strike force is in form. Good thing that United are so defensively solid…
A humiliating defeat here, in front of Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and Erik Ten Hag’s future has to be in doubt. Though he doesn’t think so.
Jamie Jackson’s not so sure.
Preamble
Manchester United’s 4-3 win over Liverpool sure feels like a long time ago. And something of a freak result. Since then, Liverpool have continued to lead the chase for the Premier League title, Jurgen Klopp finding solutions to the problems presented by the opposition. Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag has taken on the look of a man who wishes he could bury his head below the collar of his turtle neck. United are all but out of the chase for the top five while Liverpool need a win to go back above Arsenal and Manchester City. Can United upset their historic rivals? The only real evidence they might came within that match three weeks ago.
Kick-off is that odd 3.30pm time. Join me.
