Pre-Match:
vs
Anfield,
Liverpool
Kick-off :
Saturday, 5:15pm (IST)
Premier League
will kick start this weekend with one of the fiercest rivalries in English
Football with Liverpool- hosting the North-West Derby, entertaining League
Leaders and Defending Champions Manchester United in front the Kop in a Saturday
lunchtime kickoff. After a drab week in absence of league football, it is
Liverpool initiating the noises about abandoning equivalent sharing of TV rights going for individual selling as done in Spanish League. Certainly
they feel threatened by huge influx of money in the Top six clubs and as well
as constant funding to the so called “mid-table/ mediocre” clubs, which has
made the league more competitive than ever.
For Liverpool
Football Club, it will be a mammoth task to overtake their bitter rivals
Manchester United in terms of number English title. But what they can do this weekend
is let football do the talking (hopefully Gerrard will kiss the camera again
for the billions of supporters all over the world) and halt United’s momentum ending
their unbeaten run.
Form:
Form is out of
the window; whenever and wherever there is derby game, teams already fired-up
to out-performance their bitter rivals. Liverpool come into this game with job
well done in their previous fixture- a Merseyside derby while United drew
criticism for their average performance against Norwich. United still remain
unbeaten in seven of their games, drawing just one. Liverpool have won four and
lost two of their last six fixtures, also won the previous year’s fixture
thanks to Dirk Kuyt hat trick, only the second-ever Premier League hat-trick by
a player against Manchester United. One weakness displayed by
Manchester United this term has been their inability to stop opposition sides
creating chances.
The U-18 have
already set the tone for this game; United making a comeback from 2 goals down
to win it 3-2 in the FA Youth Cup Quarterfinal match. The
entire game turned on its head with the award of a penalty and controversial
red card for Stephen Sama and retake of penalty. Later, even though United were
also reduced to ten men in comical circumstances immediately afterwards, they
coped better with the reshuffling and they rode the wave of momentum to come
away with a victory.
United have lost
their last three Premier League visits to Anfield, not winning since a 1-0
victory in December 2007 when Carlos Tevez scored. This is the club's longest
run of defeats at Liverpool under Sir Alex Ferguson - and the longest since
losing seven from 1972-79.
Injury Update:
For United,
Vidic and Rafael may miss this game still recovering from their long term
injury while Tom Cleverly may not feature due lack of training and match
fitness; similar is the case with Chris Smalling.
Steven Gerrard
is likely to return the start lining presenting a new dynamism to Liverpool’s
midfield along with injecting much needed pace. Glenn Johnson and Agger also
return to squad.
Manager’s talk:
Sir Alex
Ferguson has repeatedly stated that the match is the biggest fixture of the
season but Dalglish disagrees.
Kenny Dalglish: “We've got an opportunity to reduce the gap and it's up
to us to take it.
They
are a fantastic team, a hugely successful football club, and we know it's going
to be a very difficult game. But I think they'll look at it and think exactly
the same thing.
I
don't have any individual contest with Fergie. It's the football clubs who
play. We don't play anymore. We can't really influence it other than in the
build-up and preparation for the games. The most important thing for us is how
we compete as a team on the pitch.
The
head to head (between him and Ferguson) - I haven't got a clue what it is and
it doesn't really matter to me anyway. I'm in competition with him because
we're competing on Saturday, but over and above that, as I've always said,
we're a unit, everyone's got a role to play.”
Key Players:
Steven Gerrard:
Alone Luis Suarez cannot carry Liverpool’s attack on his shoulder. He has been
lacking the basic services from his midfield compatriots, hence seen frustrated
during the game. Everybody is familiar with Gerrard’s ability of pick a pass
from anywhere in the pitch. He has done time and again, forming an excellent
partnership with Owen and Torres. His sheer presence on the pitch will give a
huge lift to the kopites. Dalglish has used his wisely on his return from long
term injury, not tempted to give Gerrard a hurried start in Merseyside derby. Steven
Gerrard has scored four Premier League goals in this fixture, two short
of Robbie Fowler's six-goal record.
Wayne Rooney:
After all the hullaballoo for the red card during the England’s match for
kicking a player, the lad will return to Carrington, and ready to face
Liverpool. Although he had below-par performances in the last two games, he is
still the orchestrator of United’s attack. United would want him in his top
game and continue his scoring run which has seen him reach the top of the
Barclays Premier League’s Leading Goal Scorers.
Referee:
Your man in the
middle for this one is referee Andrew Marriner.
Probable XI:
Liverpool
(4-5-1): Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Srktel, Enrique, Kuyt, Gerrard , Lucas,
Adams, Suarez, Caroll.
Manchester
United (4-4-2): De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Ferdinand, Evra, Nani, Anderson,
Fletcher, Young, Rooney, Hernandez.
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