Manchester United upbeat ahead of their match against Liverpool
Manchester United are confident ahead of their match against their traditional rivals Liverpool. Manchester United will be hoping to put their recent disappointments behind by trouncing over Liverpool at Old Trafford. Manchester
United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been recently criticised for his team selection against Everton and Rangers as both matches resulted in draw costing them precious points. Ferguson will be hoping that a win over Liverpool will silence the critics.
Darren Fletcher, who was the only player to feature in both of United’s last two fixtures, believes that matches between Manchester United and Liverpool have not lost their past appeal and are still the biggest of the season. Manchester
United has been the dominant force in England for last two decades but they have faced tough competition from Liverpool on several occasions. Last season, Liverpool gave their worst performance by far as they slipped to seventh place and they are not considered
by pundits as contenders for this year’s Premiership. Manchester United and Liverpool have both won record 18 league titles which substantiate their glorious history. According to Fletcher, this season the rivalry has reached a new level. He said, “It is the
biggest game because of the history and the success the two clubs have had. We have had a lot of battles over the years. There is a great history between the two clubs and we have equalled their number of league titles now, so a lot is looked into that. It
is a massive occasion, when form goes out of the window.” The young and inexperienced Manchester United were frustrated by ultra-defensive tactics employed by Walter Smith in the Champions League’s opening game. However, Fletcher believes that Liverpool will
play more positively in the upcoming fixture.
On the other hand, Liverpool’s manager Roy Hodgson has defended Fernando Torres ahead of their visit to Old Trafford. Fernando Torres has come under heavy criticism due to his lack of form but Hodgson insists that the Spaniard
is fully focused. Former Liverpool’s midfielder Jamie Redknapp has accused World Cup winner Torres of "a lack of effort" after he gave lacklustre performance against Birmingham in a goalless match. According to Redknapp, Torres looked frustrated, sloppy and
lethargic. However, former Fulham manager Hodgson believes that Torres has a strong character and will bounce back in upcoming matches he said, “Fernando Torres has no problems with that. He's an excellent player and is very much committed and focused on this
season. It's very wrong for people to read into his state of mind from watching 90 minutes of football. I can't watch a player and tell you what state of mind he is in.”
Hodgson is contemplating on giving Torres a rest ahead of Liverpool’s Europa League clash against Steaua Bucharest on Thursday in order to prepare him for crunch game at Old Trafford. “I shall make changes to the team for the game
against Steaua. There's no question of that - it's something I've planned all along. I don't think there is any point of having a squad of 25 players, many of whom are internationals, and then just trying to play the same 11 every game,” Hodgson said. Liverpool
will miss two players due to injuries for Thursday game. Dirk Kuyt and Fabio Aurelio are confirmed out due to injuries but it won’t worry Hodgson as he has large reservoir of players. He said, “It's up to me to try and choose a team tomorrow that will firstly
win the game and secondly possibly give some of the players that are going to be needed to play against Manchester United a well-deserved break.”
Derbies between Manchester United and Liverpool have always produced beautiful football for houseful fans. This year nothing less is expected as both sides are intent on proving themselves and overcoming their recent disappointments.
The result at Old Trafford will definitely have long-term repercussions for both teams this season.
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