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Manchester United will host their fierce rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford this Sunday.United are starting to pick up some momentumand their last game saw them record a resounding 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns. Bothclubs have had contrasting fortunes this year.Liverpool havelookedmuch stronger than the previous few seasons,bolstered by the prolific strike partnership of Suarez and Sturridge. Manchester United on the other hand,are having a horrible season under David Moyes who needs to make a lot of changes, both personnel wise and tactics wise to ensure that United come out of this crisis of theirs. Even though United are not the sameteam they were last term, they still hold enough to win againsttheir arch-rivals. Here are 5 ways by whichManchester United can defeat Liverpool and close the gap to 4th place.
#1 Juan Mata to be given a free role
The Spaniard is still finding his feet with his new team but has notched up 3 assists in his first three games for the Red Devils. Mata played behind the striker in his debut match against Cardiff City but has been deployed on the right after that which is a bit uncomfortable for him. The 25-year-old was very involved in the match against West Brom, constantly drifting around in midfield, exchaging passes with Rooney and Fellaini. He also showed the presence of mind to track back during one West Brom attack, as his intervention prevented the forward from getting a clear look at goal.
Moyes has tweaked his tactics recently, providing Mata more of a free role, and has given Fellaini more of a box-to-box role, while Carrick shields the defence. This allows the wing backs to go forward freely, as was demonstrated by Rafael and his excellent play against West Brom.
The Spaniard can be a real menace for defenses and is very hard to stop when he is in full flow. United will need creativity against Liverpool if they are to win and there are few players better than Mata in the creative department.
#2 The Jones and Smalling pairing
The defensive duo of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling should start against Liverpool as they have the pace to deal with the threat of Suarez and Sturridge. While it is too early to say that they can be future centre-back pairing for United, it is an experiment that needs to be played out. Jones, who had a slightly shaky start grew into the game against the Baggies, and calmed down once he scored the goal at the end of the 1st half. He needs to be given a long run at centre back, as for all his versatility, centre back will eventually be where he plies his trade.
Smalling wasn’t as impressive as Jones but gave a strong performance, shutting out everything that came his way. The fact though remains that against the League's best strike force, he simply cannot afford to make any misakes. The 24-year-old will share the tough task of shackling SAS but is capable of coming out on top. Smalling should be picked over Vidic (as he is leaving United for Inter in the summer) as he needs to get some much needed experience against a strong attacking force which will make him a better player.
#3 Fellaini Needs To Be At His Best
The big Belgian gave his best performance in a Manchester United shirt against West Brom, completing 90% of his passes – more than any United player, made the most interceptions and won all of his aerial duels. As mentioned before the Baggies are not the same team as Liverpool so Fellaini needs to replicate his West Brom performance in order to justify his place in the first team.
Fellaini hovered all over the place against West Brom and needs to do the same thing against the Reds. The 26-year-old is capable of choking Liverpool’s midfielders and needs to stop them from playing their fast paced passing game. The Belgian can be a real nightmare for the opposition in the air and in one on one duels which is a bonus for United.
#4 Unleash RVP On Liverpool
The Dutchman has has a really stop-start season, as niggling injuries have limited his involvement. What is key to van Persie's game is his anger, and against West Brom, that anger was on display. The fact that he was trying so hard is good news for United fans, as that can only mean him working his socks off for the team, and hopefully return to his prolific, goal scoring ways.
The 30-year-old recently ended speculation about his future when he said that he is happy at United and will be determined to prove his point in front of the home crowd on Sunday. Van Persie has scored 11 times in 14 appearances so far this season, definitely something that Liverpool can't ignore.
#5 Adnan Januzaj to start
Adnan Januzaj has been the major positive of the season for Manchester United. His composure on the ball, coupled with his talent have shown that he has what it takes to cut it at the top level.
The Belgian can be a real nuisance in the opposition's box with his dribbling and crossing abilities which will give Liverpool, who haven't had a fixed right-back this season, a hard time. Januzaj still needs to mature, but what better time to use him that against Liverpool, where his raw exuberance will be of great use. His link up play with Evra has been really good, and is one of the advantages he provides when he plays.
