Once the biggest on the English footballing calendar, this season’s fixture seems to have lost a bit of its lustre. The limitations placed on Liverpool by their ownership means they are no longer in direct competition with Manchester United, and indeed are unlikely to close much of the 22-point gap between the teams last season. However, this weekend’s meeting at Old Trafford will certainly provide a good barometer of what these sides should be aiming for this season…
Cole has struggled for Liverpool
It’s no fault of their new manager, but Liverpool probably won’t be close to winning the league this year. It’s a measure of how low expectations have dropped at Anfield that the likes of Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard expressed doubt at not only their side’s chances of mounting a title challenge, but also the prospect of clawing their way back into the top four. Times have changed at Anfield since that astonishing 2008/2009 season when they came so close to claiming a first Premier League title, and in such a short time their fall has been dramatic. Did the failure to replace Xabi Alonso affect them that much, or were they just never that good all along? I think it’s a lot from column A) and a little from column B). Alonso’s departure had hugely detrimental effect on Liverpool’s style of play as the prosaic pair of Lucas and Javier Mascherano didn’t have the quarter-back capabilities of the Spaniard. However, in the past two seasons the paucity of talent in Liverpool’s side has been exposed. When Jamie Carragher was at his peak, the likes of Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel looked like potentially world-class partners. Now, however, no member of that once impregnable Liverpool defence looks immune to the jitters, and to make matters worse they’ve been joined by Paul Konchesky. Steven Gerrard expressed his delight at being joined by Joe Cole, but while Gerrard has hinted that last season’s decline was reversible, Cole has yet to impress in his favoured position behind the front man. Fernando Torres will be Fernando Torres, but not until he’s fully fit again. He seems to be paying the price for playing through injury last season; again, not Roy Hodgson’s fault. Normally you can guarantee Liverpool will raise their game against their hated rivals, but finding out what their peak performance levels are this weekend might be a Pandora’s box the fans wish to remain shut.
Rooney disappointed against Rangers
Manchester United, on the other hand, are a conundrum this season. Comfortable against Newcastle United and West Ham at home, capable of racing into leads and then surrendering them late on at Fulham and Everton, and then, worst of all, failing to score against a Scottish team. No-one can be really sure where they are at this season, or what they should be aiming for. On the face of it, their squad seems relatively unchanged from that which came within a bat’s knacker of retaining the Premier League trophy last season. The departures of Ben Foster, Craig Cathcart and Zoran Tosic are unlikely to have left gaping holes in their side. Their incoming transfer business was with an eye on the future, and none of Javier Hernández, Chris Smalling or Bebé have made a significant impact on the first team yet. But with the look towards youth and the elder statesmen nearing the end – Paul Scholes for one has said he expects this to be his last season – are Manchester United looking at a season of transition? Sir Alex Ferguson is unlikely to acknowledge it, but United may be considering the long game this season, rather than concerning themselves with the formidable Chelsea.
Some – maybe not all – will become clear when the two meet at 1.30pm this Sunday.
