Rant could feign indifference. Not that, somehow, there wasn’t full of joy taken from Manchester United’s outstanding victory over Liverpool on Sunday, but that schadenfreude didn’t take complete hold. The truth, however, is that there is very little more enjoyable than beating Liverpool at Anfield. Better still when the opposing captain departs in rambunctious ignominy – on his last appearance against United to boot. Pleasure from football is not always so beholden to the misfortune of others, but Sunday’s rare event will be savoured all the more for Steven Gerrard’s 41-second cameo.
Indeed, United – in the club’s various guises – has won just 25 times at Liverpool’s home ground since 1894. Four of those victories have come in the last 10 visits to Anfield. Amid that clutch of wins, Sunday’s will rank as one of the sweetest in recent memory. And not just for Gerrard’s folly, albeit one that left the traveling masses in raptures.
The immediate observation, of course, is that Louis Van Gaal’s side has strengthened it’s position in the Premier League’s top four, with Champions League qualification a step closer today. The Dutchman’s team holds a five point gap over Liverpool, while Manchester City and Arsenal are within two points with just eight games to go. United could yet secure second place – an achievement no less remarkable for its inherently anti-climatic nature.
More pointedly, it was a game in which United’s soul might just have been rediscovered. Once lost, now found, in the heart of enemy territory. On the day the visitors excelled for near enough an hour. The sharp passing, high-tempo pressing, and astute tactical make-up was everything United supporters want from Van Gaal’s team. From any United team. No longer raised is the cry of ‘attack, attack, attack.’ United attacked and Brendan Rodgers’ side capitulated in the most satisfying manner.
It has been a long-time coming, but on this evidence – and to a lesser extent that of victory over Tottenham Hotspur a week previously – the Dutchman’s oft-discussed philosophy might just have come to the fore. There is too deep a history of underwhelming pragmatism this season to draw any definitive conclusion, but something has finally clicked.
Where United’s play was generally a cut above the hosts’, two Juan Mata strikes dripped in world-class. The Spaniard’s smart right-footed finish from Ander Herrera’s decisive pass in between the hapless Alberto Moreno and Mamadou Sakho oozed attacking verve. It was a combination that did for both Spurs and Liverpool in the past fortnight – 90 minutes that Moreno will not soon forget.
Then came something truly special from Mata on the volley following Angel di Maria’s lofted ball. Mata twisted beautiful as if performing an homage to Manuel Negrete. Except this was all for United.
And to think that Van Gaal has not always sought to integrate either Spaniard in his side this season. After two fine performances from the former Chelsea midfielder over the past week that argument is now put to bed. Herrera’s sharp mind and astute passing is every bit as integral to United’s success over the next eight critical games.
Van Gaal enjoyed his moment. It is the finest of his short tenure at Old Trafford and not just for the result, but also for an astute strategy superbly executed. Details notwithstanding, Van Gaal won United the game, outfoxing Rodgers for the second time this season.
“The first half was very good because I knew in advance that Liverpool would press us and they did, but we played them off the pitch in the first half,” said Van Gaal in the aftermath.
“We scored a fantastic goal and we gave nothing away, so it was a superb. We beat Liverpool again with their own weapons and the pressure on the ball. Now the gap is five points ahead of Liverpool and six ahead of Tottenham and Southampton so the moment to win is one of the most important in my career.”
Indeed, it was. Yet, the afternoon was not all positive. It is churlish to pull up Van Gaal’s side for a dip in the last 30 minutes, but United’s drop in intensity allowed momentum to drift towards Rodgers’ outfit. The Reds remained one strike away from disappointment for far too long at Anfield. It is a habit that has lasted the campaign long and one that must be broken should United hope to regain the Premier League next season.
“In the second half, everything changed because of the red card,” said the Dutchman. “Then we are not playing like a team, we are running with the ball, unnecessary losses of the ball, we don’t press the opponent with the ball and that was different in the first half, so that was not so good in the second half.”
Then there are questions over players that failed to perform at Anfield: notably Wayne Rooney, not for the first time against Liverpool, and Di Maria. Rooney has 13 goals and four assists in 26 appearances across all competitions this season. All but two have come in the Premier League. No shame there, although just three have come against rivals for European places: Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, Liverpool in December, and Arsenal last November. Of those games, Rooney’s strike at the Emirates was the only goal that directly secured United three points.
And even if the limited output is mitigated by Van Gaal’s use of the player in midfield – just 10 of 26 appearances have been as United’s principal striker – then meritorious performances have rarely followed.
Di Maria’s turn was even worse at Anfield, despite the Argentinian chalking up an assist for Mata’s second. That’s nine this season for the former Real Madrid midfielder. Yet, Di Maria struggled to come to terms with a game in which United enjoyed a numerical advantage for most of the second half. The player’s distribution continues to be ragged and his commitment seemingly limited.
Whatever the caveats this was United’s best performance of the season; a game in which it was possible, perhaps truly for the first time under Van Gaal, to foresee a genuine renaissance. It is certain to be an interesting summer.
Before then Van Gaal’s side must negotiate eight games – three of which come against City, Chelsea and Arsenal. European qualification is now more likely that not, but not yet guaranteed.
Europe will be decided in May. Today, there is the glow of victory over United’s most fierce protagonist. That, and Gerrard’s moment, which left the travelling support happy – and laughing just a touch as well. Schadenfreude. Thy be a fan’s best friend.
That’s it for May! Shit, for a second I thought I’d missed every one of my exams! That game might have been worth it though
“It is certain to be an interesting summer.”
With lots of round pegs/square holes in this squad – regardless of Sunday’s victory, it will be fascinating to see how LvG continues to re-shape the team to reflect his “philosophy”.
Really, who is likely to be there next year – in the position he played on Sunday ?
Undoubtedly, most of us have spent the last couple of days basking in the reflected glory of victory over the Scousers and the banishment forever of their leader. It was an uplifting performance, for sixty odd minutes at least.
Where this leaves us for the future, who knows? Try to qualify for the Champions’ League and then start again?
One thing is for sure, if United has an end of season ‘Crossbar Challenge’ competition, then David De Gea is a certainty to win, given all the practice he has been having at landing the ball on Fellaini’s head from fifty to sixty yards.
All that needs to be said by a man utd fan is that we tasted sweet victory over these bunch of liverfools. Van Gaal is beginning to get the players to gel playing as a unit rather than individuals. BUT HIS OBSERVATION for second half was spot on, wherein there were certain man utd players easing off the gas pedal since it was against 10 liverfool men which nearly cost us.
NOTABLY Rooney as captain was one of them and Carrick being complacent in midfield which lost the ball that caused liverfool to score the only goal in the game against us was proof again that our players especially the english ones do not have the discipline to maintain concentration for the full 90 minutes.
Bollocks, mate.
Worst comment on here for a while
The game between liverpool and man u as a man u supporter i enjoyed it 1st half and 2nd man u had an advantage bcos of a red card man u kept on losing balls that helped liverpool to press them until their goal came.rooney, carrick and di maria were losing balls too much.valecia his attacking is not good. he fails to dribble a defender to make a cross.man u they need a defender like ivanovic of chelsea.falcao the reason he struggles to score is that he doesn’t knw how open so that midfilders can give a ball and score.if man u continue to play like this they can win all remaining games i dont doubt
*Juanfield
Really good article Ed, Sunday was nigh on a perfect day! Small point of contention in the article, well not really with anything you’ve said particularly, more the general negativity aimed at Di Maria’s performance. While not perfect, he did have a creative hand in United’s two best chances of the 2nd half (the pass to Mata and the lovely little pass inside for Blind to win the penalty). While I obviously realise he did make some errors, in a fixture which has a notoriously difficult pace to come into as a sub, I still don’t think it’s too surprising that Di Maria made a couple of poor choices with his passing. Maybe I’m being a touch over-sensitive, but I just think it would be a shame if Utd supporters were to focus on the negative aspects of a clearly very talented player’s game, when players who perhaps take less risks, and therefore make less obvious ‘mistakes’ are given an easier ride. For instance, there’s no way Ashley Young would’ve been able to execute that pass to Mata, and he’s been getting some very positive press this season. While I’m clearly all for players working hard to improve themselves, should the benchmark for a United starter be so low? Do you only have to marginally improve from absolute shite to be considered positive?
I suppose this may be where Van Gaal’s philosophy comes into play, in that doing as your told is the be-all-and-end-all. I also have to factor in Di Maria’s transfer fee and the natural increased expectation associated with that. Having said this though, I still believe there’s a danger here that playing safer passes comes to be seen as ‘good’ and riskier passes ‘bad’. While not wanting to pick on Ashley Young, the comparison between him and Di Maria, statistically, is frightening. Young has contributed just one assist to Di Maria’s 9, and contributes just 1.1 ‘key passes’ per game, compared to Di Maria’s 2.2. While I know this is just one part of the game, and stats can be very misleading, I do think the good parts of a player like Di Maria’s game can get overlooked by the overt focus (especially when compared to other, less talented players) on the passes that *didn’t* make it.
Drew – I want to agree with you, your post reads well, seems entirely reasonable, and your core values re risky passes that might win you a game, vs. safe passes that won’t, are my core values too. (Which is why I can’t applaud Van Gaal for picking Herrera and Mata now when they’ve been available the whole time, getting overlooked in favour of teacher’s pets thankfully unavailable against Spurs.)
But what I saw on Sunday was we ceded the advantage to Cesspool’s 10 men by bringing on the calamitous Di Maria. He wasn’t the right fit for us last summer (Reus was) and I don’t know if he’ll be the right fit next season, given his best performances for Madrid came as part of a central midfield 3 rather than as a winger