There's a difference between playing with pace and speed and just having players who are fast, Liverpool will more than likely come raring out of blocks pressing and playing with pace like Tottenham did to us last time out, whether they can keep it up is the question.

Yes you have fast quick players but when I've watched you this season you have rarely played at pace, reminds me of England abit, quick speedy players but no tempo.

Should be wanting a draw as I see Liverpool as definitely being up there this season but I'd be lying if I said I don't want them to turn you over..

Mourinho will be more than happy with a point.

Yes I said that previously, and yes I got that horribly wrong, on every level, but who hasn't made a bad call over the years??

We do have a good squad of players this season, I don't think that is too outlandish a claim, is it as good as other clubs who we should be competing for to win the league, yes it is, and that is not me being biased or "having the blinkers on".


What do you mean they are due a victory, they beat us in Europe last season if I remember correctly.

I do agree with you that we have a tricky set of fixtures coming up, hence why getting a point in this upcoming match, would not be all that helpful, we need as many points as possible, if we are not to fall even further behind the top four placed sides in this period.

I see José as a winner, and he will be wanting a win, and so I can't see him being content and happy with a point at the final whistle.

We have speedy players who know what they are doing like Rashford, Martial, Valencia etc, so I wouldn't doubt them in that sense.

It will be a very tough match, but it is one that we are more than capable of winning, if we go there with a gameplan, and we execute it, just as José wants us to.

I think Mourinho would be happy with that. As I said, I think he'll want to at least not lose, and maybe sneak a win if he can. Going all out against your rivals away from home isn't what you need to win the league. If you get 4 points from the two fixtures he'll be happy. If Liverpool were a poor side or in poor form I think he'd go for it but he'd be right to be a bit cautious.

Obviously it depends on the sort of match, but going into this, I cannot see José being happy with a point, he will be wanting to win this match.
Getting six points from these two fixtures I think he will be happier with.

No-one has I believe advocated going all out away from home, as that would be suicide really, but just not parking the bus so to speak, would be a better tactic, and one that may bring with it, it rewards.

I was talking to James, but...


Really? Personally, I think Mourinho will be even happier with zero points from the two fixtures.


"Going all out" is just a term, an exaggeration, you don't have to take everything so literally. I didn't literally mean go all out attack.

My point is you don't NEED to go all out for six points from these two fixtures. It's not necessary to win the league to go into an away fixture against a rival with the intention of winning, viewing a point as unacceptable.

You don't need to tell us that six points is better than four, or that Mourinho or you would prefer six points to four points, or that you or he would want as most points as possible. That's just stating the overwhelming obvious.

Hang on, I was not the one who said that José would be happy with four points, surely that is just stating the obvious as much as I was then, if you wish to go down that particular road??

If we are to knock teams out of contention of being our rivals for first of all a top four spot, and then perhaps a shot at winning the league, then getting six points (or now sadly just three against City) against them certainly goes a long way in helping us to do just that.

It is not so much as viewing a point as unacceptable in that particular fixture, it is viewing a point in the wider context of already being five points behind the team in first place currently, and not wanting to see that gap increase to such a degree at this stage, that it might seem hard to bridge.
So if it gets to seven points after this ganeweek, then that is a but of a healthy gap for City.
So, it would be best to keep it to five points, or hopefully if we can win, and they get best by Everton (however unlikely that may be), then that would close the gap significantly.

So it is just about looking at the league as a whole, rather than just this one particular match, as big a one as it is.

The due a victory thing is because, like the Manchester derby, the Liverpool games tend to go in cycles - they win a few, we win a few - and in the league at least they haven't beaten us for a while. It's just a theory though, I hope I'm wrong.

What are you talking about? I never said you said Mourinho would be happy with four points. You've read something that is not there. Try reading my post again.



Six points is better than four. If you win, that's great for you. You should want to get as many points as possible. More points means more chance of winning the league. All these are obvious points that you seem keen to point out. I shouldn't need to be told this, or add a disclaimer when I make a point that I'm aware that six is better than four.

My point is four points out of the two fixtures is the MINIMUM. A point away from home against your rivals is a good result, no matter who you are, just as long as you win when it's your turn to beat them at home. If Mourinho thinks Liverpool are there for the taking then he may well go all out for the whole three points, but most likely he'll go out looking to make sure he doesn't lose, and if he wins it's a bonus. I already said he'll try to sneak a win, or he'll try to win if he can because everyone likes to win, but the main thing in this fixture is to not lose.

If he gets four points out of six from the two fixtures he'll be happy. You don't need to get six out of six against all 19 teams to win the league. It's those lower down the table that you aim to get maximum points from. I'm also talking about a wider context and looking at the league as a whole.

We're also due to put in a good performance at Anfield as the last two there were questionable.

With the exception of the game where Gerrard got sent off, we haven't played well at Anfield for years, even in games that we ended up winning.

Correct

This match will always be tough and competitive no matter what, and of course both sides will not want to get beaten for a variety of reasons, I am sure that you would prefer not to get beat, and will try your hardest not to, just as hopefully we will as well.

As usual, the match will be determined by who wins the midfield battle, as both teams look strong in that area.

Both managers will set out to first of all win the match, secondly will be to make sure the other doesn't beat them, so it will be kind of similar I think, as both managers are winners through and through, and will not like getting beat by the other.
Whoever ends up winning this match (if there is a winner), will be doubly glad, as it will certainly hurt the opposition from a league table perspective, (even more if it is you that ends up winning, as yo would extend your lead over us even further).



I could be wrong, (and I probably am) but did we play well when Rooney scored after Fellaini had hit the bar with a header, and we ended up winning 1-0?

However I get your general point, so it would be nice to play well, and win there, as we do have the players to do just that.

This could be a game for Pogba to really lay down a marker, and show just a little bit why we brought him back for such a hefty fee.
Him and Ibra, will be really important for us I believe, if we are to come away with the three points.

Again that's kind of missing the point I was making.

But whatever, I really can't be bothered anymore. I wasn't talking to you in the first place and I don't want to talk now. I'm done.

And I have a feeling you'll respond by saying you haven't missed the point at all, because you always do, but don't waste your time since you won't get a response from me.

Why the hostility, we are just talking about how we think the match will pan out.

Sorry to hear/read that you are done, I thought it was a nice bit of discussion between rival fans, it was never my intention to want to make you not post anymore.

What hostility? All I said is I'm done with the discussion. Any hostility is in your head.

I am not interested in continuing the discussion with you. That's all. There's no hostility.

Okay, fine, sorry if you don't feel able or willing to continue having this discussion regarding the upcoming match.

It is always good to have an outsiders perspective on things, so please do come back in the future to discuss more matches.

You do have the potential to cause us a heck of a lot of troubles, and there is always the home factor to take into consideration, so you definitely could beat us, I am of course not ruling that out at all.
We will need to play very well to beat you, and I hope that we do.

After all of this, and all the stick Rooney has got, knowing him, he probably will pop up off of the bench and score the winner!

But there are so many players that could be the match winner, that it is very hard to call at this stage.

I just hope that both sets of fans behave, and that the only talking points after the match, are those on the pitch.

If we lose by 3 goals on Monday, Liverpool go top!

All hands to the pump!!! We must prevail!!!

Batty have you been putting babycham in your Ribena again? You seem to be picking fights in an empty room over the last couple of pages.

I worry about us because our middle as a whole is not as good as theirs. Not on a man-for man comparison but as a unit. They press better, pass better and will be at home. You may not rate Coutinho but I do. Firminho I'm not sure about, but Mane is a decent player and even Henderson is a different animal in a Liverpool shirt. Yes, we have our own speed merchants but they have to be able to get on the ball to be effective. Liverpool will set up to stop us doing that.

Having said that, I can't wait to see one of our Usains against Milner. He may be a versatile player but he's even less a natural full-back than Valencia is and surely can be turned by someone with enough speed and guile.


Ahuh. So apart from Shaw, exactly the same team as mine.... (please don't post about great minds )

Conversely if we win by a four goal margin, we go above them into fourth, I guess it is a case of glass empty or full!

I think Coutinho is a great free-kick taker, so we must not allow him to get a chance to take one close to the goal area, but other than that, he does seem to like a shot from distance, and I am confident in De Gea dealing with those type of shots.

The midfield will be where this game is won and lost, we need to make sure we get a grip of it from the off, as if they start well, and get the crowd behind them, then it will be a very long night indeed.

This match could go in so many ways, which makes trying to predict it that much harder to do.
Hopefully our extra height will come to our advantage, and we can use it at set-pieces, as that will be another key battle.

I would like the fullbacks to play their position. I would like Rashford to play off, around and in advance of Ibrahimovic; there may be a dodgy backpass (or 3) to pick off. It would not displease me if Fellaini's elbow enjoyed a discreet rendezvous with Henderson's teeth.

And a win would be handy too....

Bats you're talking a good game for United. Do you think it's even worth liverpool turning up or should they just give United the 3 points

I wouldn't complain too much if they gave us the three points, sadly though, I doubt that it will be as simple as that, games at Anfield very rarely are.

A night game under the lights, with the crowd in full voice, will be very hard to combat, although if we got an early goal, that might change things in our favour somewhat.

He wants four goals as well, with none against!