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Club Focus - Liverpool - Reds' long road to ruin put to one side
Whisper it quietly on the Salford Quays or down by the Albert Dock, but there are a lot of similarities between Manchester United and Liverpool - success, for one. The duo have won 36 league championships combined – 18 each – which is almost a third of the titles available since both were formed. Both are from working-class, historical north-west cities that are proud of their traditions, their identity and their people. Both clubs have experienced triumph, tragedy, delight and disaster. Both have produced some of the greatest footballers this country has ever seen. Both have set and broken records, attracted millions of fans worldwide and given their supporters some wonderful European nights to savour. Both are being run into the ground by hated American owners.
When United visited Anfield for a goalless draw in September 2005, Liverpool’s supporters – only four months on from seeing their team crowned European champions – were buoyant. An anti-Glazer backlash had already begun amongst the United faithful, and American flags were waved in the direction of the travelling supporters along with European Cups made out of tin foil, cardboard and a healthy dose of mischief. It was all played out to the tune of ‘USA! USA!’ from the home fans. Four and a half years on, that memory must make those same fans cringe.
Saddled with almost a billion pounds of debt between them, United and Liverpool stagger on through their American revolutions. Supporters are doing all they can in a bid to turn it around. Quite how much the Glazers care about United’s green and gold protest only they know – surely if they have as much business nous as they claim to have then they’ll bring out a green and gold away kit next season – but at least the supporters’ hearts are in the right place, just like at Liverpool, where attempts to oust Tom Hicks and George Gillett continue, and the news of the Rhône Group’s proposed bid for a controlling stake in the club has been met with cautious optimism. Fans on both sides have been paying as much attention to the business pages as they have to the sports ones, but thankfully football matters can come into sharp focus on Sunday afternoon. Forget about debts, refinancing proposals and crippling interest repayments, it is time for Manchester United and Liverpool to go to head-to-head where it matters most.
Off the field, the similarities continue mount up, but on it – for this season at least – their fortunes have differed wildly. United have made their customary progress into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and are challenging for a Premier League title. You don’t need me to tell you that Liverpool are not, yet they will be confident ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. After a Carlos Tevez goal gave United a 1-0 win at Anfield in December 2007 an apparently wise old head stated his - entirely correct - belief that the Reds – who then had never beaten United in the league under Rafael Benitez – suffered from an ‘inferiority complex’ when it came to facing their great rivals. His name? Thomas O. Hicks. The Liverpool co-owner’s one and only truthful statement about football could not have been more right – back then. If he said it now he would be as wrong as he usually is.
Liverpool are not scared of United. Why should they be? Of course they respect them – that is a different matter – but they have beaten them on the last three occasions they have met, scoring four goals when they last visited Old Trafford a year and five days ago. Since United last played, Liverpool easily beat Portsmouth and then swept serenely into the last eight of a European competition last night. The 3-0 win over Lille saw a star performance from a dazzling young Brazilian playmaker by the name of Lucas Leiva. He should keep his place for the trip to United – he was excellent in this fixture last season – and Liverpool will have to draw upon all of their newfound confidence if they want to complete a second consecutive league double over the men from Old Trafford.
That of course will be easier said than done, especially given the form of a certain young forward from Merseyside in the Manchester United No. 10 shirt, but the home side will be wary of Fernando Torres too, who is suddenly back fit and firing. He has scored four goals this week, and after finding the net in his last two appearances against United he will be ready to repeat the trick. Nemanja Vidic – sent off the last three times he has faced the Reds – might be feeling that nerve problem again, and Liverpool should relish the chance to derail United’s championship aspirations whilst also giving their top four hopes a serious shot in the arm. We have discovered that both clubs have many similarities – some welcome, others not so. Their desires to win on Sunday will be equal too.
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