Rooney’s resurgence can drive United on to victory
LIVERPOOL versus Manchester United. Can it really be ninth against sixth in the second half of a Premier League season? That’s where these two mighty clubs are now − playing for bragging rights. Although they are arguably still the biggest in English football, this is not a title showdown of old.
The only say they will have in the title race is through their results against the real contenders; otherwise they are insignificant. And Arsenal will know they should have won at Anfield the other night, but they blew it. This is still a massive game and a bad result and performance can decide a manager’s future.
Brendan Rodgers lost his job after the Merseyside derby and Louis van Gaal could find his position untenable if Liverpool win today. He claimed this week that even he has been bored by Manchester United this season. But I don’t believe him. It’s a soundbite and the only way of dealing with Paul Scholes’ criticism.
They are boring, although there was a real contrast in their performance at Newcastle in midweek, compared to their home games. The goals they scored were brilliant and they played some great counter-attacking football.
But you could hardly say that they went to Newcastle and dominated them as they’ve done in the past, and always looked like winning. Newcastle deserved something from the game.
Van Gaal has certainly not turned the corner. I said earlier in the season that I could count the number of good performances in the Dutchman’s reign on one hand. And that’s still the case.
They have one of the best defensive records in the Premier League but that is because they control games with negative football, constant possession and sideways passing.
The problems stem from using Danny Blind as a centre-back. He would not get in any of the other 19 Premier League teams in that position. He can’t run and when they come up against a big, strong, quick centre forward like Newcastle’s Aleksander Mitrovic, they can’t handle him. Alan Shearer, Robbie Keane or Thierry Henry would have had a field day against him.
Wayne Rooney’s form has been important for Van Gaal because he is giving everything for his manager, just as he did for David Moyes.
Compare that to Diego Costa and his downing of tools in the latter stages of Jose Mourinho’s reign – and how fired up and well he’s played, at times, under Guus Hiddink.
His relationship with Moyes was always going to be under scrutiny because of their past but Wayne gave everything for his former Everton manager, while others were clearly questioning him.
And it would be easy, with all the criticism Van Gaal is facing, to hide or look disillusioned, but Rooney has played well for the last two months.
It’s a cliché, but sometimes players do have to stand up and be counted. He’s done that. He got some stick because he wasn’t scoring, but he’s put that right in the last couple of weeks, and his second at Newcastle was outstanding.
He’s pulled away from Denis Law, he’s closing in on Bobby Charlton and 200 Premier League goals, second only to Shearer on 260.
And still people say he has not fulfilled his potential.
He’s not as dynamic as he was five or six years ago, but that happens to footballers when they reach 30.
A couple of weeks ago, he was booked for a really bad tackle on Oscar. He could easily have been shown a red card for the offence.
Now I’m not condoning the challenge or any like it, because it was a bad one, but that’s the Wayne Rooney I want to see. That’s his game.
When we were at Everton, I saw him launch into two-footed tackles in training because his team was losing at five-a-side, or a decision had gone against him.
He needs that controlled aggression and you can see with his workrate and commitment that he’s got it back.
Rooney could be the difference at Anfield today and he will know the importance of this fixture.
And how much would he love to be the match-winner?
Let’s not pretend everything is rosy at Liverpool for Jurgen Klopp.
As much as I admire him, performances and results have been inconsistent and the problems that existed under Rodgers are still haunting them.
They can’t defend set pieces, or high balls into the area for that matter and teams are exploiting a major weakness. It has to be priority for Klopp.
Spurs have shown what can be done with two well-drilled, good central defenders who can both play a bit too.
Liverpool started really well against Arsenal and were brilliant to watch but with Blind in the back four, Klopp may be tempted to go for Christian Benteke today to exploit his vulnerability.
I’ll be at the game and, despite their league positions, I’m looking forward to a great encounter.
There will be goals (watch the commentator’s curse strike now!) and if I was to put my neck on the line, I just fancy United to sneak it.
And funnily enough, I just think Van Gaal has had longer to get his ideas across than Klopp and that might be difference.
Klopp may have more sophisticated and exciting ideas, compared to Van Gaal’s dull ‘philosophies’ − but the Boring One might be the victor, and delay the inevitable.