Final Score: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United
Liverpool Goal: Steven Gerrard (46)
Manchester United Goals: Rafael Da Silva (51), Robin Van Persie (81 PEN)
The emotional circumstances surrounding this game and the very nature of our opponents meant that this was always going to be a particularly hot-blooded affair. Though it stings and there may be a reaction, the result is not what I'm going to take from this. It's the fact that managers name was sung by the Anfield crowd toward the end. Given everything that had gone on both prior to kick off and the excellent way he had handled himself and the match itself, Anfield was on the same page. We believe in Brendan Rodgers.
Things may have been straightforward as far as the team sheet was concerned but there was a lot to take in before a ball had been kicked. Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez both understood the occasion and took full part in the pre match handshake as players of both teams wore tracksuits with the number ninety-six emblazoned on them. Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard both released the same number of balloons into the sky as a way of remembering those who were lost in 1989 and Anfield as one displayed a moving mosaic. These were incredibly powerful and moving scenes.
When the game got under way there was a visible effort from both sides as all around the ground the chants of "Justice for the 96" rang out loud and clear. Neither team settled particularly quicker than the other, although United had more of the ball in the opening few minutes. The shape of the side looked a lot more prevalent and consistent than it had done in previous matches, right from kick off it was clear of the balance of the side and how it continually reacted as they passed it around the midfield.
Whether or not it was a fact of them being weakest at wing back or strong through the middle, the first forays into the United half were done down the flanks. Glen Johnson and Raheem Sterling were getting the ball down at either side and trying to cause as many problems as early as possible. The first real chance of the game came from a Ryan Giggs effort that saw him be given too much space on the edge of the box before curling it wide. Almost immediately afterwards Sterling slid in Suarez down the side of the six yard box and though he was at a tight angle still force Lindegaard into a save. Gerrard and Borini were looking to pounce but it fell to a United shirt and was cleared. The signs were there early on for a very open encounter.
If there is one player in the squad of whom it can be said is overflowing with confidence it's Raheem Sterling. Having established himself now as a first team player, it amazes me how consistently threatening he's managed to be over the last few games as a player of his age would usually have a lot more swings in form as they learn about life in the Premier League. Once again he was making a mark, pushing Evra back and linking up well with those around him. His hard work nearly paid off as a corner that he'd earned provided Gerrard with a chance only for the skipper to hit it narrowly wide. Stevie himself has looked particularly bright early on, being involved often and playing in the way that the manager will have wanted him to.
Given the nature of the fixture, United sat off early as we accumulated possession. They allowed us to have it in our own half, whereas we pushed them up the pitch as far and hard as possible without the ball and tried to force a mistake or two. Fabio Borini has in recent times been compared - certainly in terms of whose place in the squad he is filling - to Dirk Kuyt. Here, they've never looked more alike - and I mean that as a compliment. If anything Fabio's movement is ever so slightly better, having seen him in recent games time his run away from the back four and break the offside trap to perfection but then his touch and composure end up letting him down. The one moment that wasn't pretty about our play - which would impact the game in a massive way later on - was Jonjo Shelvey's high tackling. Were it not for the fact that he's been doing this for some time now you could argue that it was the occasion and not the man but as such, there's no way he's going to do anything other than go into these challenges full blooded. That is, until he is punished for it. More on that later on.
One of the complaints that's made about possession football, in particular the brand we've seen with Spain and even of Swansea under Rodgers last year is the fact that at times it can appear there is no purpose to it. Anyone could have seen the first twenty or so minutes of the game and thought the same of it here, but there's an added layer to the way we were passing the ball. These weren't slow, simple passes designed to annoy the opposition or run down the clock in anyway, we were fizzing balls into feet all over the park. The technique you need to have in order to do this successfully requires players to be fully aware of everything that's around them and as such, allows that extra opportunity to play through a ball the opposition won't be expecting. It's maybe half a second of thinking time but over the course of a game would certainly wear down most defenders, because you're forcing them to not only close the play down that much quicker but to always be thinking on their feet.
Having gotten ourselves firmly into the game now, conversely United were becoming far more sloppy as it went on. Stray passes allowed us to start again frequently and - in part due to being pushed high up the pitch - knocking it aimlessly long played into our high line, allowing Agger in particular to come into midfield and overwhelm them numerically. In trying to create chances of our own, it again came mostly from the right hand side. This time Martin Kelly was getting forward and putting crosses into the box, earning a succession of set pieces in the process. A lot has been said about Kelly's place in the side as an attacking full back and though I think his crossing isn't one of his strengths, it's something I still liked to see. The balls he puts into the box are percentage crosses, not of any real accuracy but playing them into a dangerous area in the hope of making something happen. For that to be effective, he has to put in a high number of them in order increase the odds of one of them being a threat.
Mid way through the first half and an injury to Rio Ferdinand gave United a chance to take a deep breath and calm themselves down. For all of our good passing and movement in the first two thirds of the pitch, there was a significant slow down as we approached their penalty area. It was impressive to see however as Gerrard and Shelvey would get into good areas which allowed Sterling, Borini and Suarez the chance to isolate the centre halves. Both Rio and Jonny Evans were playing well enough but it was an indication of how far they'd been pushed back as to how much they were getting on the ball.
Following up from his measured performance against Sunderland, once again Steven Gerrard looked to be pulling the strings and defying those who suggested he's a liability in this system and style of play. His passing varied from long to short but was mostly in line with the rhythm in which the rest of the team was playing and he was able to affect the game in a much more creative way than at the Stadium of Light. This wasn't Gerrard playing within himself or trying to box his talents in to fit the system. There were one or two instances where he did attempt something a little more ambitious but not only did it come off but it was also the right pass to play at the time. It was good to see.
While there was no real onslaught on Lindegaard in the opposition goal, there was a real pressure being exerted. Only one team was creating chances and the other was finding it difficult to string a few passes together such was the way in which we harassed them high up the pitch. Typically good players were being forced into mistakes and it was going to take something out of the blue if they were going to get back into the game. Like a red card.
The whole thing wasn't particularly great, in any respect. Jonjo said after the match that he wasn't going to pull out of a challenge when he thought the ball was there to be won in a game like this and if he did there would be a certain section who would have accused him of being a bottler. In that sense he can't win. However, Rodgers does need to have a look on the training ground as to what can be done to improve his timing of these tackles. Shelvey is a fantastic prospect but will spend far more time off the field for things like this if he doesn't get it sorted. That doesn't absolve the referee of anything by the way. The way both players dived in it has to be either both off or neither of them. If anything Evans' challenge is worse than Shelveys as he's the one that makes contact with two feet. It was a ridiculous decision at a time when the match looked to be in our complete control.
When we went down to ten men against West Brom on the opening day, Rodgers' reacted with an immediate change. This time he opted against making any substitutions and with only five minutes to go until half time will have seen his decision almost instantly vindicated. There was so much of a cohesion between all those that were involved, in spite of the red card it was still Liverpool on the attack. At the other end, United weren't allowed to so much as have the ball at their feet in the final third, with there always being a red shirt on hand to get it clear.
With the midfield reduced in numbers, a lot more was going to be asked of those who remained to keep the balance. Sterling and Borini had already done a great deal of work in both getting down the flanks and occupying defenders as well as helping out at the back when it was necessary. What appeared to happen was that Gerrard and Allen were to split Shelvey's work between them. Allen in particular who had been playing very tidy just in front of the back four was suddenly popping up all over the pitch. He went from covering for Kelly to bombing down the wing, then appeared on the other flank to play Borini in for a cross that went just wide. The fluidity which ran through the whole team really was something special. As half time came, even though the disappointment of losing Shelvey was still on everyone's minds the only thing that was missing from that performance was a Liverpool goal.
Both teams made substitutions before the second half could get going. Scholes came on for Nani and Suso came on for the injured Borini to make his Premier League debut. Again, it's one of those things that shows quite how much Brendan Rodgers believes in his philosophy. Starting Sterling and Coates against Manchester City was a fairly brave but totally understandable call, whereas no-one would have batted an eyelid had Henderson or Assaidi came on rather than the Spaniard. What with Raheem and now Suso getting their chance, as well as the glowing references given to the likes of Robinson, Wisdom and Morgan and there's more of a feeling than ever that if you do well then there are places to be fought for. That may be indicative of how threadbare we are, but I still find it encouraging that he's not going for the "safe" option.
Fortune favours the brave. Rodgers could have been forgiven for patting himself on the back after Suso's introduction led almost immediately to the opening goal from the restart. His cross down the left hand side was headed out to Johnson, who drove into the penalty area. The ball was again not properly cleared and came to Steven Gerrard, who promptly controlled it with his chest and placed it into the bottom corner. Having played so well with ten men, it was good reward to finally have the lead. It wouldn't last.
What happened in the immediate aftermath of the goal is something of a blur. United were understandably stung into action and with the addition of Scholes in midfield were passing the ball around infinitely better than they had in the first period. We were a little deeper - both as a consequence of their improvement and in trying to ride out the wave of initial pressure that was going to come from scoring - but in addition to that they were also finding space in our midfield. The equaliser - although incredibly deflating - was still a strike of some quality. Such a shame it had to be Rafael (not that any of them are much better). His run with the ball down the wing and then inside the penalty area when he had given it out wide was left alone. When Kagawa chested it back to him there looked to be no real room to do anything, so his strike to curl it around Pepe Reina really was unexpected.
The momentum had completely swung. From having been behind, United were firmly on the front foot and getting into good areas. When we did get the ball there was a massive gap between our midfield and attack, although Suarez was making it stick and Suso was encouraging in his regularity with getting involved. After a few minutes and the game had settled down a little, United settled into the classic rhythm of a team with quality players and a man advantage. They were going to be patient and pass it around, trying to tire us out in much the same way we had done to them in the first half. Still, they couldn't help that when we did get the ball, the threat of a second was still there.
It's far to say that Mark Halsey was not the most popular man at Anfield. Having sent off Jonjo Shelvey, he riled the crowd further by denying a penalty on Suarez that could easily have been given - had it not been the Uruguayan offended. The volume in Anfield went up even more moments later when Paul Scholes received his customary booking. There was a lot to be optimistic about, not least of all the growing in stature of Suso, who was putting himself about and playing like a man who was making his hundredth game in the Premier League, let alone his first.
What happened next had no effect on the game. It wasn't a particularly important passage of play, nor did it lead to anything significant. In five short minutes - if that - the ideology of Brendan Rodgers was laid bare. We were down to ten men against Manchester United. With our lead that we'd worked so hard for having been wiped out, I know - and can understand why - a lot of managers who would be seriously thinking about shutting up shop. We had Martin Kelly and Glen Johnson not only in their half of the pitch but very high up. Daniel Agger would pick up the ball and burst forward, moments later Martin Skrtel followed him. This was our way of saying that despite the circumstances surrounding the game, we believed that the team who played the better football would win. Most encouragingly of all, we wanted that to be us.
At times it was like there were two separate games being played. Using the half way line as a divider, it was defence versus attack on both sides of the pitch. When we were on the front foot however, it was expansive open and dynamic. With United trying to break us down we were tight, organised and desperate to give nothing away. Suarez is the kind of player that still had enough about him to worry a defence regardless of who else is playing and as the focal point of our attack both his energy levels and composure was paramount to getting anything. He continued to be a menace, taking a ball through and occupying a few defenders before laying it back to Suso who forced Lindegaard into a good save. If you didn't know it, anyone would have thought we had the man extra.
Jordan Henderson came on for Raheem Sterling to try and close the gap in the middle of the park that had been getting larger ever since the second half started. The change in shape allowed Suso and Suarez to link together directly and instantly resulted in a chance, with Luis trying to shoot from a near impossible angle and firing right across goal. In trying to create something that could lead to a second goal, both men were also working very hard in trying to press the back four of Man United but were unable to get close to them. All across the park they were beginning to find the spare man with some regularity now and pushing us ever further backward. Still Reina had no save to make and so long as it stayed that way, we would be okay.
Time slowed down. The whole thing was over in a matter of seconds and yet it felt excruciatingly drawn out. Suso had the ball just over the half way line and was looking fairly composed with it. His pass to Daniel Agger was contested by Robin Van Persie, which caused it to go loose. I think Agger was already injured by the time he made his second challenge, which inevitably took out Glen Johnson as Antonio Valencia poked it past the both of them and went charging forward. Johnson to his credit got back up and ran half the length of the pitch to make a challenge. He didn't quite get there but Valencia still went down. Penalty to Manchester United.
Agger's injury accounted for a very long delay in the taking of the spot kick, before Jamie Carragher replaced him. I was hoping that it would do something to Robin Van Persie's mind, in the same way Shane Long had waited so long to take his against us and made a complete mess of it. As soon as it had been pointed out that United had missed three penalties already this season, the outcome was obvious. Pepe got very close to it, but Van Persie had done the incredible feat of scoring again at Anfield by having less kicks of the ball than there were goals in the game.
What followed was a valiant effort but no real chance presented itself. Martin Kelly got on the end of a Glen Johnson cross when there was nobody else in the penalty area and nodded it just wide. With nothing to lose, both fullbacks would be given the green light to go forward as much as possible, not that they needed it. After scoring the penalty, Van Persie then endeared himself to the crowd by lunging in on Suso. It was a risky challenge, one that you would advise your players against making for fear of the referee evening the game. A yellow card was all that was given. People want consistency from referees. Mark Halsey gave us consistently bad.
By now the home support and players were understandably frustrated. There were United players going down at the drop of a hat as they began to eat away at what little time remained. Danny Welbeck even came on for Rafael and in five minutes managed to spend as much time on the floor as on his feet. Stoppage time gave us a final chance to push forward but by now we had given everything and were visibly tired. Just to make matters worse, Martin Kelly had to come off through injury as well. This was one of those horrible ones in which there was no contact from the other player but his studs went into the ground at a bad angle and looked to have done some serious damage to his knee. Immense frustration greeted the final whistle, most of it directed at the referee who'd had more influence on the game than any player. We now stand in the bottom three having played five games with very little to show for it. Things aren't great but this isn't over. The way I see it, we've only just begun.
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