Manchester Utd 2 Liverpool 1
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This was an exciting game from 53 to 94 minutes.,
Before that it was a yawn
Rob Hughes had warned me: It\’s the Man United game that might be tight, rather than the Arsenal game. And so it came to pass.
After 18 minutes, RVP made a small movement to score a big goal.
1-0 to United.
Van Persie scores goals out of fractions and half-yards.
Daniel Agger was on his heels for a moment. The wrong moment. That made Agger into a judo fighter who was about to take a fall. That allowed a big lean wolf to take a bite out of Liverpool.Agger recovered to make the tackle but by then the ball was in the back of the net.
Van Persie\’s reliability allows United to be more patient in a game and to pace themselves in games, in weeks, in the season. They can do that because his conversion ratio of chances to goals is so remarkable.
A Cleverley volley fizzed past the post in 40. That shot was two feet from making it 2-0 in spectacular style.
After 43, Gerrard passed wide, yet again. Liverpool were feeding Downing, their worst player. Their attacks were not direct enough.
When your striker is a fireball, and one of the greatest reflex players in the game, don’t play at a slow tempo which doesn\’t use the reflexes of Suarez.
After 43, I muttered, “Stevie G used to have a shot from there!â€
By then I\’d decided that Brendan Rodgers was guilty of over-thinking it.
At half-time Graeme Souness said, “They have to get someone nearer Suarez. He\’s got to change the system. His system\’s not worked.â€
EXACTLY MY VIEW !
Sturridge came on for Lukas at half-time.
And Gary Neville soon said, “There\’s different things happening here in the first five minutes. It\’s a different match.â€
BULLSEYE COMMENT!
When Van Persie curled a free-kick to the far post, Evra got up and his header glanced off the forehead of Vidic and went under the right armpit of Reina for 2-0.
After 56, Stevie G had a shot at last and De Gea saved and Sturridge tapped in for 2-1.
Then United just kicked. When you put some pressure on Manchester United, they just foul, foul, foul and foul again.
At 2-1 it was fascinating, compelling, on a knife-edge, as Liverpool started rolling, generating rhythm and momentum, creating good positions and openings.
After 85, Sturridge missed a golden chance for 2-2.
Staying just onside beyond the far post, he used his right foot to hit a fierce shot just over the bar.
Liverpool started the day 21 points behind Man United and ended it 24 points behind them.
As I keep saying, it\’s a four -year job for Rodgers, who is a young manager.