While United vs Liverpool has long been established as the biggest domestic league game in England for decades, is Monday’s fixture the biggest we have seen in recent memory?
Let me put this into context, both teams are coming off some of their worst seasons respectively. United are no longer the force of old, while Liverpool haven’t been a force for some time. Liverpool have momentum while United are stuttering.
Both teams invested heavily in their managers and have brought in two of the best in the world and of course being Liverpool and United the two managers are polar opposites, one is a charismatic loveable German who doesn’t like to waste money on huge transfer fees and loves to play swashbuckling attacking football, the other an arrogant self-centred Portuguese tactician, who has spent 100s of millions on signing and like to play safe and win at all costs. Football ethos or personalities aside they are both proven world class managers.
Both teams are beckoning in a new era under their new managers and this will be the first time they lock horns, Klopp has the better track record head to head but untied always seems to have what it takes to overturn Liverpool in the league, no matter how poorly they play.
So is this the starting point of a long and fierce rivalry? Will a victory for either team set the tone for the new few years? IF the Liverpool attack over run United and put them to the sword 4-0 will one victory mentally give Liverpool the edge for years to come? Or will United aerial prowess exploit Liverpool weak underbelly in the set-pieces.
Will we see some attacking football from Mourinho?
Monday could see Jose in another dilemma. I wrote in just before the Utd vs City game and pondered how Jose would set up and whether the fact he was under pressure to produce a more attacking style at Utd and not do his usual bus parking set up. On that particular day he seemed to set up fairly defensively (say a mini bus, if you will). It wasn’t until the game was nearly out of reach that he tried attacking and nearly got something from the game.
I think after the way results have gone for Utd, he’s facing the same predicament. Does he attack Liverpool and face an onslaught of pressing and completely open the game up or does he sit back and potentially face the same situation he was at against City? Playing away from home might even suit his negative tactics better. Hitting Liverpool on the counter could be fruitful but I’m sure Klopp will ready for that.
Sitting back away from home won’t cause too many concerns from Utd fans about the style of play IF they get a result but just look at what happens when you attack – 7 points from Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea away from home. I guess I’m just wondering when we’re going to see the attacking football Jose promised when he took the job.
Will Monday be that day?
Wenger: I can’t rely on Giroud in the big games
Olivier Giroud will miss Saturday’s game against Swansea through injury, but has been left on the bench by Wenger even when fit. The Gunners manager seems to share the opinion of many Arsenal fans that the French goal ace isn’t up to scratch.
“Before the competition [Euro 2016], the supporters didn’t want him” said the Arsenal boss who will be looking to Sanchez for his goal threat over the coming games.
Wenger has also criticised his striker’s lack of mental strength and REVEALED EXCLUSIVELY to us:
“The criticism does knock him. He’s not made of metal.”
Despite this Wenger will hope he can iron out any problems in his front line and have the necessary steel at the back to nickel three points. Otherwise he might need his tin hat.
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