5 elements that destroyed Liverpool vs Manchester United

#4 More spectators than supporters

Premier League football has become a tourist attraction

This isn't a problem unique to this fixture, but fans from around the world flocked to Anfield on Saturday for the biggest game of the season. They came from the far corners of the globe to experience the incredible atmosphere, but without realising that they would ultimately be responsible for creating it.

The Kop and the away end may retain the key elements of traditional support, but the rest of the stadium resembled spectators at a theatre, waiting to be entertained before reacting accordingly. Dressed in half-and-half scarves and watching the game through the screen of their phone, the majority of the crowd on Saturday represented one of the most disappointing aspects of the modern game.

Football at the highest-level increasingly distances itself from the traditional football fan and their family, and the price of watching regular Premier League football is now a significant investment on the annual household income. In fact, just watching it on television can be a big expenditure.

The German Bundesliga has a model that ensures the traditions of support upon which the game has been built remains, but as their clubs fall further behind Europe's elite, it seems only a matter of time before their fans are increasingly exploited in the pursuit of success. Admittedly, fans need something to shout about, but the importance of creating the right atmosphere for such a fixture cannot be underestimated.