It has happened for the 3rd time in succession and I have a sinking feeling about it. Believe me it's an uncomfortable task to write about any United's loss and given that this time I have to write about a loss at Anfield, it certainly doesn't make it easier.Liverpool had not had a great season at all. They were coming into this match on the back of 4 consecutive defeats in League and Europe. And everybody was of the opinion that if they lost a 5th, they would be out of the title race and Rafa would definitely be shown the door. Things were only made worse for them with Gerrard becoming unavailable for this game due to injury. United on the other hand were sitting at the top of the table which I would put down to the failures of its rivals to obtain consistent results, Liverpool included. So the onus was really on the Reds from Liverpool than United even given the fact that United had let its fiercest rivals do a double last season and everybody had been calling for a revenge this season.
The fact that form is hardly of any relevance in derbies such as this was something you could realize watching this game as it was Liverpool who started to boss the proceedings. They were egged on by their supporters who were boisterous as ever. Liverpool enjoyed more possession and showed more of an urge to turn the tables. Though most of the first half looked a cagey affair, it was Liverpool who had the better chances. Van der Sar was called in to make some good saves - first he denied Aurelio off a free-kick and then denied Lucas from scoring from a header.
United didn't get much possession through out the first half. They struggled to get their familiar passing game going. Perhaps it was because Liverpool were always on the heels of United players and they were successful in closing in on most attempts by United players to build an attack.
Second half had a similar story to tell until Torres came up with some magic - A Benayoun through ball saw the Spaniard finding space in front with only Ferdinand to counter. Torres showed his class by muscling through and coming up with a stunning finish from a difficult angle and it was 1-nill Liverpool. Until then Torres had not had much to do in the game but given the reputation he has built for himself (of being one of the best strikers in the world right now), the goal was no where near being a shocker. United had a good 25 minutes to make a turnaround. But they just couldn't find their game on most occasions. They almost had a chance to do that when Micheal Owen, who was shown not an iota of respect by his former supporters, was on course to a one-on-one situation with Reina only to be cynically brought down by Carragher. On most occasions, such a foul would have invited a straight Red but this time the defender only saw a yellow much to the dismay of United. As tempers soared high, the game saw 2nd yellows for Vidic and Mascherano but that didn't have much of an impact on the game. None of the United front men could come up with the goods needed for an equalizer. On the contrary it was Liverpool who got the second just before the whistle that seemed to be the icing on the cake for them.
Though it was a very disappointing result from United's perspective, there is hardly much we could complain about except the Carragher offense. Liverpool undoubtedly looked the better side and United didn't seem to have the same desire for the game. The front men, Rooney and Berbatov hardly saw much of the ball in the Liverpool box. I was actually startled when I saw Carrick and Scholes starting the game together - Carrick has not had any form this season and Scholes has been off-colour since the Sunderland game. Liverpool midfielders' drive to close in on United's play didn't help the cause. Vidic and Ferdinand looked quite nervous specially against Torres and not without reasons. Ferdinand has not been in great form for club or country this season. And Vidic was perhaps keen to overturn the treatment he received from Torres last season. Most people have been vocal about how we missed somebody like Ronaldo. Well, if you let go of your best player you are obviously going to feel his absence! And everybody knows that United is in a rebuilding mode as far as the wings are concerned. Valencia has been decent while Nani is yet to live up to his potential. For me, the reason we lost was because we didn't show enough hunger for the game. Liverpool made it a do-or-die situation for themselves and found the spirit to redeem themselves to a certain extent through this result. On a lighter vein, I am not too disappointed by the result. Because this result means that Mr. Benitez has saved his job and we know how Liverpool have the knack of dropping points under him. So never mind if they are going to do another double over us. As long as the title stays at Old Trafford, long live Rafa and Liverpool association!
