MANCHESTER UNITED VS LIVERPOOL
11-FEB-2012 BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
OLD TRAFFORD
Sir Alex sent United out in their usual 4-4-1-1 system with the combination of Svholes and Carrick in midfield and Ryan Giggs playing from the left wing.
Kenny Dalglish sprang the biggest surprise leaving out Craig Bellamy and Charlie Adam in favour of Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson. Luis Suarez returned as the lobe striker in the place of Amdy Carroll in a 4-1-4-1 system.
Giggs vs Johnson
Ryan Giggs has been used as a central midfield player this season, so to see him lining up on the left wing was a surprise. Giggs is no longer a pacey wide player who holds the width, he drifts inside and plays in central postions. Giggs moving infield had two impacts 1) United could play around Jay Spearing better 2) Glen Johnson had room to move into attacking postions, he arguable had Liverpool’s best chance in the first half when he had room down the right-flank to dribble at the defence and shoot just wide.
Midfield
It was technically 3v3, but United controleed the game for two reasons. 1) Giggs coming infield allwed United to play around Jay Spearing who was playing as the defensive midfiled player trying to stop Wayne Rooney get space between the lines. This made 4v3 and gave Scholes and Carrick plenty of options to play incisive forward passes and short retaining passes when United wanted to keep possession and build the play up. 2) Liverpool’s shape did not allow them to play forward and get support around Luis Suarez. Kuyt stayed wide right and Downing stayed wide left, Gerrard and Henderson did not really get in behind Scholes or Carrick an area where Manchester United are weak defensively. Both team did not really press the ball either, but because United got players into better attacking postions they were able to be more incisive with their passing whilst Liverpool’s build up was slow and sideways alot of the time.
2nd Half
Despite United loking the most threatening Liverpool did restrict their actual chances to score. Paul Scholes had the best chance of the 1st half but in thight games the 1st goal is always important and United got the opener straight after half-time from a corner. Before the game settle into a pattern United scored again, Jay Spearing showing his limitations in the deep role got caught in possession by Valencia on the edge of his own box and United had an easy counter-attack to make it 2-0 with Valencia feeding Rooney who finished through Reina’s legs in a 1v1.
This forced Dalglish to make changes, Downing for Bellamy, Carroll for Spearing and Kuyt for Adam. Liverpool went 4-4-2 and whilst this did lead to an improvement, United should have perhaps killed the game as Liverpool were now and open team between the lines with no holding player, but as Sir Alex pointed out his team were too concerned with retaining the ball instead of trying to kill the game with a third goal which is a dangerous approach. Liverpool nicked a goal from a poorly defended free-kick and could have gone on to get a draw. 2-0 can be a dangerous score line.
Conclusion
United played well for most of the game, they passed the ball well and carried a good goal threat, Liverpool’s set-up kind of handed them the platform to control the game. 4-1-4-1 left Luis Suarez isolated and easily dealt with by Ferdinand and Evans, in midfield their passing lacked incisiveness and was too safe and Jay Spearing was easily exposed.
