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Liverpool
beat Manchester United after a spirited performance
saw the Merseysiders inflict the Reds second defeat
of the season, maybe a bit too easily some could
say.
A goal from Fernado Torres and a late counter
attacking goal from N'gog gave Liverpool all three
points and a reason to start wearing shirts
around towns in England again & the bragging rites
for their fans for the next six weeks to come.
Without
question the only bonus for United was the return of
Wayne Rooney who overcome his injury which had kept
him out recently.
SAF gave
JOS the right full back slot as the rest of the
defence picked itself with Valencia & Giggs wide &
Scholes & Carrick sadly outclassed in midfield for
the entire game leaving Rooney & Berbatov with
little to play with upfront.
Lets face
the music readers, United were crap, outplayed &
outfought by a hungry side which looked the more
interested to gain three points, once again the
midfield ala Rome last May lacked a Hargreaves,
Fletcher type player, but by no means blaming the
entire game on our missing players or SAF's
selection, Liverpool deserved their victory & it was
the 11 players on the pitch were to blame.
Liverpool
were 1st to test United when after Patrice Evra had
brought down Fernando Torres just outside of the
box.
Aurelio
stepped up and curled a goal bound effort toward the
United net, however EVDS at full stretch managed to
claw it into the path of Dirk Kuyt before saving
with his legs from his fellow country man.
With a
scramble ensuing Kuyt lifted a cross to the back
post but Torres scuffed his effort before Ferdinand
cleared.
With much said about the recent departure of Alonso
both Lucas & Argie headcase Mascherano stepped up in
this match as Liverpool showed in this game that the
Spaniard wasn't missed at all as Scholes & Carrick
were nullified, hurried & hassled with strength.
On one
occasion not giving Scholes any time whosoever Lucas
nabbed the ball from the United midfielder before
charging on goal & feeding a run by Kuyt, the
Dutchman miss controlled the pass by Lucas before
flashing a cross cum shot across goal which evaded
all including Torres at the far post.
A rare &
small but bright patch of United work almost
produced a goal when Berbatov who like the rest of
his team mates failed to turn up flicked a ball into
the path of Wayne Rooney & upon finding the
onrushing Antonio Valencia down the right, the White
Pele met Valencia's dangerous cross with his head,
but failing to obtain any power with the header Pepe
Reina gathered with ease.
Jamie
Carragher then made a crunching but fair tackle on
Michael Carrick in the Liverpool box when United
threatened, you know the kind of tackle you would
love your own defender to do, but as the reply
showed , ball first, player second.
United's
poor passing continued to blight their game with
several guilty parties squandering possession at
will and Rooney's turn to loose the ball came up
Liverpool had a chance to break.
Glen
Johnson & Aurelio combined to feed a run of Benayoun
and the Israeli centred with a great pass straight
onto the head of the on rushing Aurelio, fortunately
for United again EVDS was right place, right time to
save.
With some
major parts of United's play ready to be added to a
bloopers & botch up reel Rooney played in a ball to
Giggs who dummied before Liverpool again snapped up
the ball & Evra showing major sloppiness with his
ball controlled squared a pass straight to a
thankful Torres.
Immediately & criminally positioning his team on the
back foot Evra can count himself lucky when Benayoun
slipped a pass in for Kuyt, but the Dutchman again
fluffed his chance to score, deciding to cross
instead before United were warded a free kick for a
foul on Vidic.
It was on
the cards for United and the Reds eventually
conceded thanks to a sublime defence splitting pass
to Torres from Benayoun who hung on the shoulder of
Ferdinand before out muscling the Peckham stopper
and rifling a shot into the roof of the net.
Mascherano then received his first booking after
fouling Patrice Evra as SAF decided to chance things
in the form of a double substitution in the form of
Nani & Owen for Scholes & Berbatov.
Oh and
yes, the Scousers didn't like that much as boos rang
out for St Michael.
Vidic was
then shown a yellow card after continuing after the
whistle had blown when he tackled Fernando Torres.
This was
the last contribution for Liverpool's goal scorer as
he was subbed for eventual second scored David
N'gog.
United
showed a little spark when Giggs & Owen combined in
the penalty area to set up Valencia, but the
Ecuadorian in tight space & angle managed to cannon
his shot against the bar.
Michael
Carrick then but only for a brief second showed some
midfield presence & skill when he nabbed possession
of the ball from Liverpool 's outstanding Israeli
before the controversial flashpoint of the match.
Carragher
deliberately hauled down Michael Owen who as replays
showed was "last man through" after a clever pass
from Wayne Rooney had sent the former Liverpool man
on goal, but a Vidic type (it wouldn't be the last)
tackle sent Owen sprawling & Carragher no doubt
expecting a red.
However
Marriner, the man in black decided against it & gave
Carragher a yellow.
Rooney,
SAF & indeed a reminder from Nemanja Vidic straight
to the Liverpool captains face indeed could not
change the refs mind.
Nani shot straight at
the by the now bored Pepe Reina and shortly after
Vidic was caught out flat footed by a long ball
having pushed up to the centre circle & as Dirk Kuyt
was about to race through on goal, Vidic, did a
Carragher, or did Vidic do a Vidic.
Seeing a
red card for the third successive game against the
bindippers, the Serbian was sent off.
Within
seconds off went Mascherano when Nani was caught in
possession sending a back pass to EVDS, but the
Argie slid & caught the Dutchman for a harsh yellow,
but importantly his second yellow.
Pushing
for an equaliser, deep in stoppage time (almost six
minutes off, where are the City whiners now.
N'gog
caught the Reds on the counter slipping the ball
past EVDS for number two & thank FU*K for that the
end of an truly awful team performance. |
Article by Mark Graham, Editor, Record Keeper & Official
Reporter @ MUFCINFO.COM.
Torres (65),
