Despite the fact that the participants of the northwest derby - according to tradition, one of the most delicious confrontations on foggy Albion - were divided by not lightweight eight points before the duel, the intrigue in the electrified air of Manchester hung with an ax. In addition to the eternal clarification of relations on the topic “whose club colors are redder,” the “devils” needed to catch up with Chelsea, who had pulled out the day before, and the Merseysiders, who also had the most ambitious plans, would not hurt to start winning (or at least score from the game) away.
However, the real "hack" did not work. The role of the hammer, which, however, is not surprising, was played by Manchester United, who, with two blows, hammered almost the last nail into the cover of the coffin of Liverpool dreams for the title. And to a large extent helped him in this, which is far from a surprise, coach Rafael Benitez, from whose hands in the arena recently more and more often come not full-color masterpiece paintings, but scanty plain sketches. Of course, Sir Alex has a richer palette of expressive means to compare himself with the Italian artist of the High Renaissance. But after all, the color scheme of the Spanish mentor, who showed a fair transfer agility in the summer, can not be called poor. However, the Liverpool coach is overly addicted to personnel shifts, sometimes using the best qualities of the combat units entrusted to him and inadequately managing the team’s game as a whole more and more resembles a participant in one of the popular television programs who, in search of happy sectors, completely surrenders to the will of the capricious drum.
After a successful leg-champion voyage to Bordeaux, Senor Benitez habitually did not maintain the winning roster, releasing Sissoko, Keith and Jerrard, who recovered from a slight tear, instead of Zenden, Crouch and Bellamy. His Scottish counterpart also made three permutations: the conquerors of Copenhagen Brown, O'Shea and Cristiano Ronaldo were replaced by the old guard in the person of Gary Neville, Ferdinand and Giggs. As a result, Ferguson's innovations, unlike the Benitez ones, worked one hundred percent. The last defender, along with Fletcher, regularly ironed his right edge, regularly straining the opponent’s defense with lumbago and awnings. Ferdinand scored the second, having removed all the questions, the handsome goal that happens to Rio on major holidays. The Welshman, as a result of an active flank game, completely chalked up both assists.
And the rest of the Mankunians acted to match their teammates.
Scholes, who became the ninth player in the history of Manchester United, who spent 500 matches for the Red Devils, can generally be called the protagonist of the match. The red-haired midfielder not only opened the scoring, scoring his 90th goal in the Premier League, but also skillfully conducted the team's game in midfield. Maybe he will change his mind and return to the national team, where he will replace the younger, but already tired Lampard?
Another beneficiary is Rooney, who spent the hundredth match for United, apparently, on the way to the best form; in any case, he showed full speed, sharpness and pressure in the attack. His partner Saa was brutally aimed at the blow and nearly hit the enemy gates twice. Once again proved its usefulness in the position of the breakwater Carrick. Vidic and Evra, together with their defense colleagues, squeezed the lone center Keith into the flank, and the acting guy Luis Garcia - even further in depth (in the second half, the Spaniard was completely lost on the field). As always, van der Sar was reliable in the "frame".
Against the background of coordinated actions of the hosts, Liverpool, which was not inferior to the opponent in speed and functional readiness, seriously suffered the organization of the game. After a hurricane starting ten-minute with mutual claims to the initiative until the middle of the first half, the Mankunians confidently owned the territory, flattened the guests and so on. Liverpool withstood the onslaught and, before skipping, issued its hot piece. In the 30th minute, a little fussy, but still the best in the “Reds” Gonzalez jumped on his left flank Ferdinand and successfully filed in the center of the penalty area, but a slight header from Keith became easy prey for van der Sarah.
Indeed, Benitez’s wards could not be denied combat readiness, but the quality of their game was not least lame due to marriage in the programs. Especially they sinned Hyuypya (problems with the first pass) and Sissoko (with the second, etc.). Moreover, a dark-skinned Malian of French descent, accidentally breaking the flagpole in one of the episodes at the edge, even managed to reject the instrument of labor of the linear arbiter.
But these are all particulars. The main thing is that Benitez, having chosen a completely attacking 4-2-3-1 scheme, again hitched Gerrard, transferring the team captain gravitating to the game in the center of the field on the right flank. There, as practice shows, it can be useful only with 4-4-2, with a big carte blanche. The situation could be corrected with the help of permutations and replacements. But what did the Castilian do? Instead of removing the ineffective Luis García and the strong man Sissoko already hanging on the “mustard”, he not only changed the best player of the Gonzalez team, he also released Pennant instead, although for a more balanced game the simultaneous presence of reactive wingers on the field was impossible it is better.
But that is not all. Pennant was charged with the obligation to act on an unusual position for him as a left haw. By the middle of the half, he and Gerrard still exchanged places, but after all, for Stevie G, the opposite edge is far from his element. As a result, Crouch in 20 odd (!) Minutes never got a single chance to really bite his head - the awnings, if any, were not very aimed, and Finnan and Riise already had enough worries. The only thing Liverpool’s lanky striker noted was an unsuccessful tackle against van der Sarah, judged by a yellow card. The third substitution among the guests did not happen at all; there is simply no one to strengthen the game. And this is with the biggest bid in the Premier League!
I don’t wish the Reds anything bad, but it seems that only an epidemic of injuries (God forbid!) And disqualifications can stop Benitez from recklessly shaking up the squad non-stop. Otherwise, the prize for 500 matches of continuous rotation and registration in the Guinness Book of Records are provided to him. If by that time he still had to work for Anfield ...
Andrey KARNAUKHOV
Manchester United - Liverpool - 2-0 (1-0)
October 22nd . Manchester. Old Trafford. 75828 viewers.
Judge : Poll.
Manchester United (4-4-2): van der Sar - G. Neville (O'Shea, 78), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra (Brown, 90 + 2) - Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs - Rooney, Saa. Spare: Kushchak, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sulscher.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina - Finnan, Carragher, Hyyupya, Riise - Sissoko, Xabi Alonso (Crouch, 70) - Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Gonzalez (Pennant, 52) - Kate. Spare: Dudek, Palette, Warnock.
Warned: Vidic, 69 - Sissoko, 27. Finnan, 76. Crouch, 77.
Goals: Scholes, 39 (1: 0). Ferdinand 66 (2-0).