Man Utd V Liverpool - Match Thread

Good shout matey!

If that Tomkins was a member here he would overload the server with all his positive ratings. He's a legend! Great article.

The fella may even upstage Ed....dare i start this?

PS: (This is only credit to you Ed)

Like Dobbs83 I have also refrained from commenting about the match until now because I was also very angry and I've got to admit bl**dy depressed by the result.

The refereeing of the match has clouded the issue as to where we are in mounting a credible challenge for the premiership.  I had convinced myself that we had finally got it together with a working formation and enough talented players to give United a run for their money at Old Trafford.  All the other omens were good.  We were better than Chelsea at Anfied and but for the referee would have won that game.  We got a credible draw at their place.  We got a point from Arsenal at Anfield which was probably a fair result given the balance of the game and we outplayed Man U at Anfield and fell to flukey but not well defended goal.

At Man U our performance was not what it needs to be to get a result.  We need all our players to be on the top of their game and to be quite honest they weren't.  We can get away with performances like this against other teams and I think at the moment we are the best of the rest.  It's against the top three, however that we need to perform to demonstrate we have true premiership class.  We are clearly not there yet but there are signs we are getting there.  We will need to strengthen in the summer and get a settled formation and squad to show if we have true premiership winning potential. 

The problem is that the other teams will also strengthen their squads.  Next season we will need to have caught up, not still playing catch up.  i feel it will then be make or break for the team and Rafa.       

Great piece from Tomkins, as always, what a gift it is to write in such a succinct manner!
and also a deserving retort from DOBBsy, well done! take yourself a point

Like Dobbs83 I have also refrained from commenting about the match until now because I was also very angry and I've got to admit bl**dy depressed by the result.

The refereeing of the match has clouded the issue as to where we are in mounting a credible challenge for the premiership.  I had convinced myself that we had finally got it together with a working formation and enough talented players to give United a run for their money at Old Trafford.  All the other omens were good.  We were better than Chelsea at Anfied and but for the referee would have won that game.  We got a credible draw at their place.  We got a point from Arsenal at Anfield which was probably a fair result given the balance of the game and we outplayed Man U at Anfield and fell to flukey but not well defended goal.

At Man U our performance was not what it needs to be to get a result.  We need all our players to be on the top of their game and to be quite honest they weren't.  We can get away with performances like this against other teams and I think at the moment we are the best of the rest.  It's against the top three, however that we need to perform to demonstrate we have true premiership class.  We are clearly not there yet but there are signs we are getting there.  We will need to strengthen in the summer and get a settled formation and squad to show if we have true premiership winning potential. 

The problem is that the other teams will also strengthen their squads.  Next season we will need to have caught up, not still playing catch up.  I feel it will then be make or break for the team and Rafa.       

Some great comments finally coming through, could not agree more with you Sir!! spot on

Like Dobbs83 I have also refrained from commenting about the match until now because I was also very angry and I've got to admit bl**dy depressed by the result.

The refereeing of the match has clouded the issue as to where we are in mounting a credible challenge for the premiership.  I had convinced myself that we had finally got it together with a working formation and enough talented players to give United a run for their money at Old Trafford.  All the other omens were good.  We were better than Chelsea at Anfied and but for the referee would have won that game.  We got a credible draw at their place.  We got a point from Arsenal at Anfield which was probably a fair result given the balance of the game and we outplayed Man U at Anfield and fell to flukey but not well defended goal.

At Man U our performance was not what it needs to be to get a result.  We need all our players to be on the top of their game and to be quite honest they weren't.  We can get away with performances like this against other teams and I think at the moment we are the best of the rest.  It's against the top three, however that we need to perform to demonstrate we have true premiership class.  We are clearly not there yet but there are signs we are getting there.  We will need to strengthen in the summer and get a settled formation and squad to show if we have true premiership winning potential. 

The problem is that the other teams will also strengthen their squads.  Next season we will need to have caught up, not still playing catch up.  I feel it will then be make or break for the team and Rafa.       

great speech mate I agree that the top 3 arre going to strengthen there squads in the summer but if the pool can just find that missing link who knows the outcome come the end of next season .

When the top 3 spend big at this point, its more like they are MAINTAINING their squad more than strengthening. If we spend roughly the same amount as them it is WE who will overtake them come summer.

When the top 3 spend big at this point, its more like they are MAINTAINING their squad more than strengthening. If we spend roughly the same amount as them it is WE who will overtake them come summer.

Sounds extremely theoretical to me!
I hope your right!!

A lot of sensible statements in the last few posts without the usual rants. Good reading  and good sense. With regard to getting aditional 'top' talent in over the coming summer. All the top 4 clubs will be eyeing the same select few players available. What do you think will draw them to Anfield before the other three clubs and why? We know why we would prefer to play for the Reds, but what about players who are currently impartial. It's not just about who we want, but can we convince them this is the place to be when all the top clubs are after them.

When the top 3 spend big at this point, its more like they are MAINTAINING their squad more than strengthening. If we spend roughly the same amount as them it is WE who will overtake them come summer.

The thing is, it's not about how much you spend, although I agree you need to spend big to get the best players, Torres being a fine example......it's about getting the right players who will fit in with the team, and making sure they all work with each other.

You could have a team of really expensive players, but if they don't click together as a team you just have a bunch of individuals......a bit like Chelsea.

Just a few tweaks here and there in the summer and Rafa will have a winning squad..........I hope
How many times have we said this over the last few seasons?  But I feel, as I know a lot of you do, that we are only 3 or 4 players short of getting that final push to challenge for the Premiership next season.



Great piece of writing yet again by Paul Tomkins, as always a pleasure to read.

A lot of sensible statements in the last few posts without the usual rants. Good reading  and good sense. With regard to getting aditional 'top' talent in over the coming summer. All the top 4 clubs will be eyeing the same select few players available. What do you think will draw them to Anfield before the other three clubs and why? We know why we would prefer to play for the Reds, but what about players who are currently impartial. It's not just about who we want, but can we convince them this is the place to be when all the top clubs are after them.

In the race to attract top, and players of potential to the club you should never underestimate the persuasiveness and the regard that Rafa is held in.
Torres is a testament to that.
But I think one of our greatest tools for attracting talent in the future will be DIC, when and if it happens. One of the most tangable assets they will bring to the club will be the new stadium, cause when they do develop it it will be one of the best in the world, nothing short of an icon. Also the financial stability and general kudos that an organisation like DIC bring to the table is immeasurable.
So, the future looks bright on all counts, are you listening DIC

With all the Red blood in my body, Scouse blood that is, Mascherano’s 1st yellow was debatable but the 2nd was just waiting to happen, Masch was like a loose canon firing off at the ref at will. As a professional at work I would not expect to be spoken to like that and after a number of times I would snap, no question. I'm being honest and it hurts but I'm telling you what I saw. I'm not saying I agree with how the sending off was handled, Bennet could quite easily have told Gerrard to calm the situation down but it also beats me why our Captain didn’t pull Masch to one side himself and give him a bollocking. Gerrard’s the man who plays alongside him and should assist Rafa with matters on the pitch… but he didn't step forward, why?

It was never going to be easy at Old Trafford no matter who the ref was - the team in front of us are title contenders for God’s sake. Shabby defending didn’t help and gifted them the 1st goal. The red mist had already descended on Mascherano but the ref had heard enough by the time he was approached again. Wrong place, wrong time and Masch was given his marching orders. Reina went through his full repertoire of goalkeeping skills flashing between awesome and awful - Lo and behold! Another 6 yard header, 2-0.

A Liverpool fan near me was still reeling with disbelief when I pointed out Tevez and Nanny were about to enter the fray. He seemed non-plussed with my comment but I pointed out the “strength in depth factor,” something Liverpool is sadly lacking in. Voronin anyone? Like a kiss of death it came to pass and we were undone us with some sharp shooting, 3-0, bas**rds, that hurt.

We have a long way to go before we can mount a serious title challenge and on not so Super Sunday we virtually handed 3 goals and 3 points to our arch enemies up the M62. A chain is as strong as it’s weakest link and Mascherano snapped. He lost the plot and invariably us, the game. Wrong choice of words, wrong ref, wrong actions, wrong, wrong, wrong.

Time to put this episode to bed but learn the lessons.

Really gutted with the loss against the Mancs.... it is really becoming annoying now the amount of times we lose against them. we had a good run of victories under houlier but we cant seem to do the job with benitez.. IN the recent losses we have really been playing well. especially last season when o'shea scored in the last minute and when duckface ferdinand scored to..

what would be nice if we meet the manc in the final of the champs league and beat them.. well will see. knowing liveerpool we will probly lose 1-0 again in the last min..

what would be nice if we meet the manc in the final of the champs league and beat them.. well will see. knowing liveerpool we will probly lose 1-0 again in the last min..

No!! Don't say that. When we get to the final, we are capable of beating any team especially in the Champion's League. If Man U do get to the final along with us, I can definetely see another cup coming home, where it belongs.

I agree Bpatel... im just upset with alwayz losing against our arch rivals. but lets hope so.. would be good to end the season with another champs league trophy. i good smack on the face 4 the mancs.. its a trophy that they are after.. trying to prove they are the best in the world. really hoping they doing win the title. dont fink arsnel are to backing chelsea to do it.

I agree Bpatel... im just upset with alwayz losing against our arch rivals. but lets hope so.. would be good to end the season with another champs league trophy. I good smack on the face 4 the mancs.. its a trophy that they are after.. trying to prove they are the best in the world. really hoping they doing win the title. dont fink arsnel are to backing chelsea to do it.

I really can sense us winning our 6th European Cup. I'm usually right about these things
It's going to take Man U a million years to win another Euro cup, especially with us around.

really hoping they doing win the title. dont fink arsnel are to backing chelsea to do it.

Just hope you meant mancs not winning the title as they getting too close to our league title record as it is.

I got dad to put a 20 on Chelsea to win the prem roughly 3 weeks ago when they were 10 bucks. I'm still thinking it will happen.

I got dad to put a 20 on Chelsea to win the prem roughly 3 weeks ago when they were 10 bucks. I'm still thinking it will happen.

I'd hope it could be Arsenal, lesser of three evils and all that. If not much as it goes against everything I believe in I'd have to back Chelsea, can't have Utd getting any closer to our record.

I still haven't got over last Sunday. Need the Everton game to come round fast.

I hate the Scum soooooooooooooo much it's almost palpable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I still haven't got over last Sunday. Need the Everton game to come round fast.

I hate the Scum soooooooooooooo much it's almost palpable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still haven't got it out of my system either mate. Although I'm not as bad as I was on Monday. Just need the weekend to be here fast and hopefully take it out on the bitters!

I still haven't got over last Sunday. Need the Everton game to come round fast.

I hate the Scum soooooooooooooo much it's almost palpable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still haven't got it out of my system either mate. Although I'm not as bad as I was on Monday. Just need the weekend to be here fast and hopefully take it out on the bitters!

I don't think I've ever known a match thread to last as long as 16 pages?  although I'm sure there has been one !  and we are still talking about this game 4 days after it was played, which just shows the importance of it.

Unfortunately it's gone now and we can't do anything to change the result.....if only we could :

A game like this gets to us , gets deep down under the skin and screws us up to be beaten by that scum again, so I'm hoping we can turn the tables  and do to Everton what manure did to us..........we need a solid convincing victory over the bitters to push this game where it belongs....to the back of our minds......Roll on Sunday, and I agree Don and Kenny, sounds like a double act to me that ha ha 
It can't come quick enough.....