The all-singing all-dancing Sky Sports promos have done their best to convince us that it’s business as usual.
Cantona v Dalglish, Beckham v Gerrard and a shed-load of trophies and glorious memories on either side.
But, as a veteran of nearly half a century of Manchester United v Liverpool games, I can’t think of one that has struggled to get the juices flowing as much as Saturday’s.
I can’t remember a time when both sets of fans were so underwhelmed by their manager, their squad, their style of football and their current standing in the game.
It’s still the biggest rivalry for red Scousers and Mancs, the tribal battle they dare not lose, but it’s becoming a game that resonates less and less outside these tribes (albeit tribes so widely-spread we’ll probably see a stabbing in Thailand or Kenya at the final whistle).
During most of that half-century, these two have been the big beasts of English football. But on the criteria of wealth, playing talent and future direction, most outsiders today would say neither is even the best team in the Granada TV region.
The immediate pressure is on managers Brendan Rodgers and Louis van Gaal, both of whom need to translate their plentiful talking into walking.
In the last ten Premier League games, both have taken only 12 points out of 30.
This season, the clubs’ combined Premier League goal haul is just one more than Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson has got on his own.
It’s a long time since United or Liverpool have made pulses race. And when you’re managing these clubs, that’s a dangerous state of affairs.
The summer was sobering, with the biggest transfer sagas involving their best young talents (Raheem Sterling and David De Gea respectively) wanting a “bigger stage.”
Van Gaal kept telling us he was after a galactico or two; a Bale, Ramos or Ronaldo. He had to settle for an ageing Bastian Schweinsteiger and a couple of decent prospects, while losing out on Pedro to Chelsea.
After a few windows when Europe’s finest have snubbed Liverpool, they have downgraded their targets. Which is why the £29million capture of Roberto Firmino was dressed up as major coup, despite no-one else making a bid.
Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left, United have the feeling of being back in the post-Busby era, scrambling around, trying to find a successor and throwing big money at players just to remind everyone of their might.
The scatter-gun approach smacks of desperation.
Flashback — Manchester United 3-0 Liverpool last December:
Liverpool, unable to compete with the richest clubs, are deluding themselves that they can beat the system by bringing in future world stars before they’re discovered.
With Financial Fair Play largely ditched, the only chance they have of catching the billionaires is attracting one of their own. Which seems to be FSG’s strategy in re-building Anfield. Meanwhile, it’s miracle-praying time.
A couple of years ago, Ferguson called this fixture the biggest in England and although plenty guffawed, it wasn’t totally laughed out of court.
If Fergie were to repeat that today, there would be murmurings about dementia.
For the two sets of ans, victory at Old Trafford on Saturday evening will taste as sweet as ever, mainly because it will offer further proof of their detested rivals’ demise.
Flashback — Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United last March:
The downside is that defeat, particularly if it’s emphatic, could set alarm bells ringing among the frustrated and demoralised.
That’s why, although this game is no longer one of the biggest in the world, for Rodgers and Van Gaal it is massive.
Because losing to an enemy both sets of fans have convinced themselves are there for the taking, might be a pill too bitter for many to swallow.
The downside is that defeat, particularly if it’s emphatic, could set alarm bells ringing among the frustrated and demoralised.
That’s why, although this game is no longer one of the biggest in the world, for Rodgers and Van Gaal it is massive.
Because losing to an enemy both sets of fans have convinced themselves are there for the taking, might be a pill too bitter for many to swallow.
source:mirror.co.uk
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 