Despite outclassing Man United, Liverpool still a work in progress
There's no crying in football where Liverpool and Manchester United are concerned but on a raucous Sunday at Anfield, the waterworks were opened up in a floodgate of tears, especially if you’re of the Red Devils' persuasion.
Now I'm sure getting pole-axed by Jamie Carragher isn’t the most pleasant experience but Nani’s reaction was worthy of last weekend's Oscars ceremony. Yes, the Portuguese winger could rightly feel aggrieved as Mr. Liverpool applied the crudest of challenges to his knee but to collapse crying his eyes out made no sense whatsoever in the grand scheme of things.
Football played at the level Nani operates in is a man’s game and tears are usually reserved for losing cup finalists, not for players who suffer injury. The pictures of the cut in his leg look bad but certainly not career ending.
If Nani was attempting to influence match referee, Phil Dowd (who in all fairness let the teams play without ruining the match with red cards), he failed miserably while forever making himself a laughing stock to the Anfield faithful who on this particular day needed no help in enjoying themselves to the fullest.
United supporters may point to that moment as pivotal, but in all honesty Nani had already made sure that the contest was all but over with the worst defensive header I think I’ve ever seen. If he’d laid it on a plate to Dirk Kuyt in the 39th minute he couldn’t have been any easier but it wasn’t just mistakes that led the Reds to three points today, it was work-rate, belief and a helping or two of outrageous skill from Luis Suarez, a number seven who is destined to be compared to Anfield’s greatest ever number seven, Kenny Dalglish.
Now I’m sure that if you were to ask opposing defenders back in the 1970’s and 1980’s as to whether Dalglish could handle himself, the answer would be in the affirmative. He was a man who could score goals and handle himself. Suarez comes with a similar reputation and his footwork on the opening goal was simply out of the Rudolph Nureyev school of dancing as his feet moved quickly and delicately. For me it was a shame that Kuyt didn’t just let the ball roll over the line because that would’ve been one of the greatest goals from this epic rivalry.
But back to Suarez as his hands it seems also move with the same dexterity as his feet. We saw that ability last year in the World Cup against Ghana and after United right-back, Rafael, attempted to exact revenge for Nani on Lucas, Suarez was in the middle of the handbags tugging away on the youngster’s curly locks. Lucky for Suarez, Phil Dowd had his blinders on and failed to notice the dark side to his exhilarating game.
For my money that ungentlemanly conduct and Carragher’s industrial scythe were the only black marks on what was a superb performance. Liverpool though are still a work in progress and until they bring performances of this caliber to the table on a weekly basis it's too early to say whether they are back or not.
One thing that is for sure is that Kenny Dalglish has lifted the gloom that had enveloped the red half of Merseyside and having him back in press conferences is priceless. When asked whether Carragher was lucky to avoid a red card, Dalglish replied: "I think he was fortunate to be playing for Liverpool today, because we were the better team."
I would like to report that Sir Alex Ferguson had a witty comeback to his Scottish counterpart. However, United have imposed a media blackout as they suffered consecutive losses for the first time since March 21st 2009.
With their lead in the Premiership down to three points from a misfiring Arsenal, Ferguson will be well aware that the phrase he has made famous about this stage of the season ‘twitchy bum time’ will now be applied to his team. For the second consecutive contest they have been out muscled, out thought and ultimately out played.
Ferguson will not panic just yet though because if anyone knows the rhythms of a campaign, it is the Scotsman. However, momentum is massive in football and right now his team has none. The FA Cup 6th round match against those same Gunners promises to be one of the defining moments in what is building to be an epic run-in to the domestic season.
He’ll also know that this is the moment when characters step up and prepare to be counted. In the past he has had the likes of Bryan Robson and Roy Keane to go to war with, knowing that they would stand toe-to-toe with any foe. One wonders if this current edition has quite the same mettle.
Usually there’s no crying in football but there will be many more tears if United do the unthinkable and hand the initiative back to Arsenal.
Nick Webster is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering the Barclay's Premier League and the English national team.
