l'pool v man utd

[french_og]

Liverpool had such a big and strong midfield they just dominated Utd, Hamman makes a big difference but without keane and Scholes utd can not keep the ball against those type of players.

Think when Utd have there injured players back they still need to quality players in the centre to replace Keane and Scholes.

[phantomdj]

we'll do u a favour on tuesday anyhow, and hammer benfica the way you couldnt...

i would't be so confident about benfica mate , there a good team!!!

yeah compared to man united they are, but we are LIVERPOOL FC - Champions of Europe!

[phantomdj]

Liverpool had such a big and strong midfield they just dominated Utd, Hamman makes a big difference but without keane and Scholes utd can not keep the ball against those type of players.

Let's face it.. liverpool dominated everyone this year.. fair enough not to the same degree in every game and there were some off games, but we went to man utd, chelsea, betis and many other places and dictated things from midfield... as i said before, it is only the strikeforce letting us down.

we will give anyone in the world a game now... and with a clinical strikeforce we will knock big time charlie-chelsea off their perch in the premiership.

nothing said above is arrogance, it's mere fact when you look at the stats and just watch the games...

[phantomdj]

Match Report

THERE'S a sound more glorious than The Kop in full voice. It's even more enriching than the hum of a tenor clearing his throat.
When you hear Sir Alex Ferguson's gruff Glasgow accent work its way through the A-Z of Manchester United excuses in the aftermath of defeat to Liverpool, the buzz is elating.

Only the echo of Gary Neville sobbing in the away dressing room at Anfield can match it.

Ferguson's bizarre complaint around 3pm on Saturday related to Liverpool's apparent long-ball tactics which mean 'they only have to play for five minutes to win'.

This sore, tainted appraisal of a onesided cup tie was utterly incorrect, of course.

For any side to beat United, they have to play at least 100 minutes.

Although it's 85 years since Liverpool beat Manchester United in the FA Cup, it's presumed half was made up of injury time.

And even if Liverpool had only played five minutes of football on Saturday, that's a good 300 seconds more than United managed.

For once, Ferguson regretted the high digit paraded by the fourth official as full-time approached as his side paid a heavy price for a defeat more emphatic than a single Peter Crouch goal suggests.

The horrific injury to Alan Smith stained a typically enthralling meeting between the clubs, although, sadly, the infection quickly spread from the midfielder's ankle to the laptops of some of those viewing events.

Rather than focus on The Kop's sympathetic applause as the player departed on a stretcher, there are those who chose to emphasise tasteless chants before the seriousness of the injury was so obvious.

A minority of dubious moral guardians will stretch their imaginations to its limit in an attempt to avoid heaping credit on Liverpool.

If inclined, we could use these pages to highlight equally poisonous songs from the away end about Heysel and Michael Shields, but at the risk of engaging in tit-for-tat pettiness, we won't.

Rafa Benitez said before kick-off he wanted good football and Liverpool goals to provide the main talking point at full-time. Unfortunately for Smith, that wasn't the case, but at least the Reds were within two minutes of fulfilling their manager's promise thanks to a high class performance.

To say Liverpool battered United looks like an overstatement, but having dominated possession, created all the meaningful chances and shielded Pepe Reina from any decent shots on target, the claim isn't so far-fetched.

Recent arguments suggesting Liverpool are suffering from fatigue were dismantled during an opening spell which had more energy than the wrists of the Olympic curling team.

The game was dominated from mid-field, where Momo Sissoko has rediscovered his form and Didi Hamann showed, once again, his name should be first on the team sheet on the big occasion.

If Benitez has one regret after recent defeats at Old Trafford, Chelsea and The Valley, in retrospect, the omission of the calming influence of Hamann could be it.

Hamann and Sissoko exposed Darren Fletcher and Kieron Richardson as novices.

The United duo looked like youngsters lost in a big boys' world. That said, the challenge which set the tone for the afternoon came from an unlikely source. Harry Kewell's welcoming tackle on Gary Neville was late, cynical and probably worthy of a booking. It was also one of the most intelligent things Kewell has done in a red shirt, ensuring Neville's afternoon was as uncomfortable as it deserved to be. Kewell nearly had something more meaningful to celebrate when his glancing header was pushed wide by Edwin van der Sar.

The reprieve for United was brief when the most underrated crosser at the club, the consistently flawless Steve Finnan, picked out Crouch for what proved the decisive moment.

Crouch made a swift detour to celebrate in front of his own fans and all his team-mates followed him.

Had Liverpool been awarded the penalty they were owed, and Finnan hit the target with a close range volley, the second half would have been a formality.

Like so many before them, United remained in the game because Liverpool's Achilles heel remains a lack of mercilessness.

Two home games against Arsenal and Manchester have yielded 1-0 wins, but Benitez knows his side's overall play deserved more than these seemingly narrow victories.

The next step is to ensure frequent, unnecessarily nervous finales disappear. Benitez's success to date is even more impressive considering his lack of attacking options. When you think what a pacey goalscorer will add to this side, it's little wonder levels of anticipation are so high at Anfield.

United threw on more attackers in a forlorn bid to ensure they had something to celebrate in front of The Kop (literally). A Ryan Giggs volley which Reina had covered was the closest they came.

With Nemanja Vidic raising doubts about the validity of Unit-ed's decision to pay an extra £2.5m to stop his move to Anfield, Liverpool continued to look most likely to score next.

Anything other than a home victory would have been more ridiculous than the sight of a young lad from Croxteth kissing the United badge. Benitez should be thankful to the FA for providing such a swift opportunity to avenge the recent defeat at Old Trafford.

The symbolism a month ago favoured United.

When Rio Ferdinand headed the last minute winner, it suggested Liverpool's claims of superiority were premature and they'd have to wait until next season to put it right.

A month on, all the images suggest Liverpool require only a slight acceleration to pass their neighbours in all competitions.

The gap in the league may still be three points, but Benitez spent the immediate aftermath of beating United by preparing for a trip to Lisbon in defence of his European Cup. He knows the Champions League and FA Cup offer a route to another slow, enjoyable bus ride around the city.

As for Sir Alex? He's probably watching videos of Wigan in his office today. While he's there, he ought to take another glance through that manual of classic excuses.

On this evidence, he's going to need it updated in preparation for future meetings with Benitez.

LIVERPOOL (4-4-2): Reina; Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise; Gerrard, Hamann, Sissoko, Kewell (Kromkamp 82); Crouch (Cisse 89), Morientes (Garcia 63). Subs: Dudek, Traore.

BOOKINGS: Hamann, Hyypia, Carragher, Kewell (all fouls).

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-3-2-1): van der Sar; Neville, Brown, Vidic, Silvestre (Saha 46); Fletcher (Smith 77 (Park 90)), Giggs, Richardson; Rooney, Ronaldo; van Nistelrooy. Subs: Howard, Pique.
BOOKINGS: Giggs, Neville, Vidic (all fouls).

REFEREE: Howard Webb.

ATT: 44,039.

[Will]

We'll see... Anyway, I hope those Bolton cunts get knocked out next!

[Esox Lucius]

we'll do u a favour on tuesday anyhow, and hammer benfica the way you couldnt...

i would't be so confident about benfica mate , there a good team!!!

yeah compared to man united they are, but we are LIVERPOOL FC - Champions of Europe!

you are LIVERPOOL FC - champions of not finding the net.

[Esox Lucius]

We'll see... Anyway, I hope those Bolton cunts get knocked out next!

nowt wrong with bolton,. kevin nolan is class, united should pull out all the stops to sign him, he is the type of player they need.

and downing too, ideal giggs replacement.

[phantomdj]

you are LIVERPOOL FC - champions of not finding the net.

and conceded one less than chelsea in the league.... and we have the most clean sheets.

the striker situation will change next year.

[macca]

We'll see... Anyway, I hope those Bolton cunts get knocked out next!

nowt wrong with bolton,. kevin nolan is class, united should pull out all the stops to sign him, he is the type of player they need.

and downing too, ideal giggs replacement.

****in h8 bolton altho nolan is a decent player like reckon the scum should go for barton me self reckon hes a far better player just what they need solid good going forward also a leader ;)

[Traxx]

We'll see... Anyway, I hope those Bolton cunts get knocked out next!

nowt wrong with bolton,. kevin nolan is class, united should pull out all the stops to sign him, he is the type of player they need.

and downing too, ideal giggs replacement.

Look who's talkin. Beattie couldnt score in a fukin brothel.

[Esox Lucius]

We'll see... Anyway, I hope those Bolton cunts get knocked out next!

nowt wrong with bolton,. kevin nolan is class, united should pull out all the stops to sign him, he is the type of player they need.

and downing too, ideal giggs replacement.

Look who's talkin. Beattie couldnt score in a fukin brothel.

well sorry to disappoint you lad but beattie has scored 7 in the league this season, more than any of your strikers lol

the freak - 4
flopientes - 3
the sissy - 4

sorry soft lad.

[macca]

great somethin 2 brag about^ hes fat an hes shite ;)

[Esox Lucius]

great somethin 2 brag about^ hes fat an hes shite ;)

but he stills finds the back of the net more than your strikers.

oh no sorry i forgot, robbie the past it coke fiend has come to save the season, lol

[dee]

we'll do u a favour on tuesday anyhow, and hammer benfica the way you couldnt...

i would't be so confident about benfica mate , there a good team!!!

yeah compared to man united they are, but we are LIVERPOOL FC - Champions of Europe!

cocky fuk :lol: :lol: