Man Ure v Liverpool Preview

I rarely approach a fixture between Liverpool and Man Ure confident of a Liverpool victory. Under any circumstances, I would always take a draw ahead of kick off such is the fear of losing to that lot. However, I have never approached one of these fixtures with such certainty that we will lose. Other than accepting that in any game of football, either team can win, I believe a Liverpool win is so unlikely it is not even worth considering. What’s more, I think our chances of getting a draw are so unlikely it is not worth considering.

I will be watching braced for goals flying in past Pepe Reina. My fear is this could be United’s easiest and possibly biggest win over us since the Premiership began.

Apparently our team will be: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Carragher, Konchesky, Poulsen, Meireles, Maxi, Gerrard, Cole and Torres. I would prefer Lucas ahead of Poulsen and Agger ahead of either Carra or Skrtel (probably Skrtel on this occasion) but otherwise that is probably our best line up. However, compare that with the line up that famously won 4-1 in this fixture a couple of years ago.

Carra was fantastic as a makeshift fullback while Hyypia was majestic in central defence alongside Skrtel. Aurelio was by far superior to Konchesky. Johnson appears to be struggling with Hodgson’s negative tactics. He is clearly a better player going forward than defending yet Hodgson has restricted his offensive licence and left us with a weak defensive fullback with fragile confidence. He won’t be as sturdy as Carra was that day. Gerrard is not the same player as he was back then and that day we had Mascherano in the centre of the park. Alonso missed the game so Lucas played alongside Mascher. It’s only now that I really appreciate what a great central pairing Alonso and Mascher were. Poulsen and Meireles are not in the same league.

I do applaud the removal of Jovanovic from the first XI though it's difficult to see Cole being effective in such a fixture.

I don’t necessarily agree with those who think Kuyt’s absence is a blow for this fixture. I can see pros and cons when comparing him and Maxi in terms of what they bring to the team. Given that Hodgson doesn’t play the pressing game that brought the best out of Kuyt, I can’t see us being weaker for his absence while Maxi might help us retain possession a little better.

It’s all largely irrelevant though because United have the stronger first team and the stronger squad. The only way to beat teams that on paper are stronger is to outwit them tactically. This is why we don’t have a chance. Hodgson’s tactics so far have been exactly the same whether we were playing Arsenal, Man City, West Brom, Birmingham or Steaua Bucharest - Two banks of four sitting in our own half in front of the keeper; happily conceding possession in order to congest the areas in front of our six yard box; playing long balls into the channels for the two isolated front men to chase, and no substitutions until the last 10-15 minutes. It’s not just the negative and unwatchable tactics that I object to so much; my biggest gripe is the total lack of variation and flexibility. It’s like the final years of Houllier’s reign all over again. True, Houllier achieved success at Old Trafford on three occasions using those tactics but the game has moved on. United will be happy for us to force them to play in the channels as they have players who can operate well in those areas and who can deliver a telling cross.

We’re fucked. I would take a defeat of less than 4 goals as long as Michael Shithouse doesn’t get on the score sheet. It’s so sad that it’s come to that sort of thinking.