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This tie of the English football calendar is one that has been steeped in tradition, mired in mayhem and decorated with some defining moments. It is more than the ‘North-west Derby’; more than a grudge match. It is an assault on the singular heritage of being called the most successful club in English league football.
Surprisingly both clubs have their own City rivals and derby clashes but they share an unrivaled fire to disquiet and rile up each other. Both have storied past, fanatic and militant support and 35 miles of geography separating them.
Even before the knocking off perches, Rafa’s factsheet and Suarez’s vampire impressions, this fixture has always been the theatre of English football’s greatest plots.
Some of the greatest moments of the famous rivalry
Manchester United versus Liverpool has always been a simmering cauldron of animosity, flying tackles, spectacular goals, fire-spitting crowds and last minute drama. The bedlams at Old Trafford has had staggering cast of the likes of Cantona, Rooney, Gerard, Ferdinand, Torres and John O’Shea and the grandest of maestros in Sir Matt, Sir Alex, Bill Shankly.
This time it’s the United’s Norwegian assassin against Liverpool's German commander going head to head to add another episode for the posterity to remember and wax lyrical over. A win for either will be astronomical in terms of catapulting their army’s morale and self-belief for the most crucial leg of the campaign.
The showdown on Sunday certainly slavers the appetite that has a celebrated and ineffaceable trace to the history of the two cities.
Chronicles of Hate
Historically, midst the bounties of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester became the cotton capital of Europe or ‘Cottonopolis’ while Liverpool (with its port facilities) became a natural industrial ally.
However, in the 1870s, great depression checked the ability of cotton merchants of Manchester to pay the railway transport tariff to Liverpool and port haulage thereof. Thus, the creation of Manchester port and inland waterway through Manchester Canal in the 1880s brought a sense of rancor and spite betwixt the two cities.
The deep seated competitive streak and claim to be the ‘City’ of North West filtered into politics, culture and even art (Liverpool had the ‘The Beatles’ while Manchester had ‘Oasis’, ‘Smiths’ etc.).
The foundations of football rivalry were laid in the 19th Century. Liverpool football club was born as an off-shoot of Everton football club (14 years after its formation) after Everton was priced out of playing on their home pitch of Anfield in 1892. So, John Holding (owner of Anfield) crafted a new team for his Anfield stadium in 1892-93 in the second tier of English football.
Manchester United, as the former Newton Heath LYR (Lancashire-Yorkshire Railway), joined the football league in the first Division in 1892-93 season (from its very inception). That season, they would finish last but avoid relegation. The next year they would finish bottom again but this time, face the rampaging second tier champions.
In the 1893-94 season, Liverpool topped the second tier and faced United, the bottom team of the first division in what was hailed as a ‘Test match’ to secure a spot in the first division of English football. Liverpool won 2-0 to gain promotion while Newton Heath (later Manchester United) earned relegation.
Newton Heath would languish in the second tier of English football until 1902 when a bailout by a business consortium led by John Henry Davies would change the name of the club to Manchester United and consequently its future. They would win their promotion in the 1905-06 season and win their first league title in 1907-08. In February 1910, Old Trafford would be inaugurated with an inauspicious home lose to Liverpool (3-4). They would win another league in 1911-12 but suffer from inconsistencies until the 1950s and Busby years
The rivalry was reignited with the birth of new Manchester United under Sir Matt Busby and the ‘Busby babes’. The tragedy of Munich air disaster (1958) and the subsequent rise to European success (1968) would paint the ‘Manchester story’ on a worldwide canvass. They would win 5 Leagues titles, 2 FA Cups also in that period.
For Liverpool, promotion to the first division was secured in 1963 under legendary Bill Shankly. In his second year, they would win the first division against second place Manchester United.
That would be the start of Liverpool’s trail of unprecedented trophy haul with Bob Paisley continuing the Shankly’s tradition 1974 inwards. They would scalp 11 league titles and 4 European Cups in the 70s and 80s.
United, on the other hand, will have to wait 26 years for the messianic reign of Sir Alex Ferguson to nail their colors to the League trophy again (since 1967). They would win the inaugural Premier League in 1992-93.
United would steamroll the league for the next three decades winning it 13 times and in the process overhaul the 18 Championships of Liverpool (the Merseyside club are still stuck on that number for the last 29 years). They would also win 2 more European Cups/Champions League but still lag behind Liverpool’s tally of 5 (last in 2005).
Finally, Liverpool were knocked off their perch and United became the headline show again, the ultimate brass and the hero at the end of the tale.
However, the post-Ferguson circus at Old Trafford and the Klopp revolution at Anfield seems to have created another ripple-crease in the fabric of this contest. Sunday will give more evidence in favor or contrary to that theory.
Tactical Textbook
Liverpool won the last match 3-1 at Anfield without being brilliant. United were atrocious on the night with Rashford often making it six at the back. Two days later Jose was sacked by United and since then the fortunes and form of the club have gone complete volte face.
Liverpool will be wary of the utter transformation of the side they face on Sunday. At Old Trafford, they have only one win in last 9 games, the last being 0-3 scalp of an insipid David Moyes’ team. Just like Mourinho in December 2018, a loss to Liverpool spelt the end for Moyes in 2014.
They come of a 0-0 home draw against Bayern Munich, having never being able to progress in the competition with a goalless draw at home in the first leg. Last year, Liverpool’s post-Champions League record was alarming with only 3 wins from 12 matches, with a 2-1 defeat against Manchester United included in it. But they have seemed to find a way of combating that with 5 wins in 6 matches this season.
Liverpool’s blue-print will not change. The trio of Salah-Firmino-Mane will harry United’s backline. Klopp is likely to opt for a more sedate midfield of Henderson, Wijnaldum and Milner/Keita with Virgil Van Dijk returning to the rearguard next to Fabinho.
The win at Anfield was sparked by a stellar performance by Andrew Robertson at left back, slaloming past Dalot and Darmian and United’s captain Ashley Young will need to improve on recent displays against PSG and Chelsea to keep the Scott under check.
Liverpool has only one once in the last 9 fixtures at Old Trafford. However, the adventurous style of United under Ole might be something they will look forward to exploit on the counter attack.
Ole might also prefer a more counterattacking approach to nullify the attacking press and pace of Liverpool. However, the front players including Pogba will be given the freedom to unleash their own brand of pace and panache on Klopp’s charges.
Martial and Lingard are likely to return for the Sunday fixture. This will be a huge boost for the manager as the two have pivotal roles to occupy in the current design.
Ole deploys a vertical form of attacks with the width being provided by overlapping full backs. The intricate positioning of the three attackers helps aid the instant vice like pressing game to reclaim possession in case of a turnover.
The flooding of central areas is helping the flair players to link up and create inventive and fast combination plays. The flux of dynamic movements provided by the likes of Rashford and Martial stretching the opposition back four and the appreciation of consequent spaces by Lingard and even Herrera.
If Lingard is missing Mata (or Sanchez) will have to deputize. Even though he lacks the mobility and vitality of Lingard’s continual motion, Mata does bring better composure and finesse on the ball. Obviously, with Liverpool’s front press, he might not be allowed much time to dwell on the ball in central areas.
Midfield will be marshaled by Herrera and Matic. The system does allow for midfield runners as long as one man drops the anchor in order to foil any Liverpool counter attack. For United’s backline, Lindelof is a certainty with Phil Jones the most likely partner (Bailly might come in for his mobility). Young and Shaw will provide width but with one eye on the maraudering runs of Robertson and Arnold on either flank.
Both sets of players will be mindful and sentient to the glory that is in the offing for the winner, as an individual, the club and its global family. This is one fixture where legends and lore are forged or reputations filleted and butchered.
Sunday’s titanic battle will have differentiated salience for both sets of fans. United are vying for a top-4 finish but wary and circumspect of a possible Liverpool’s league triumph. That is worst and more galling to the Red Devils than the prospect of Manchester City retaining their crown.
A thundering reaction against miserable Chelsea was just what the doctor ordered for Ole Gunnar after the sobering night in Champions League (vs PSG). They return to Old Trafford for possibly the most significant fixture of the season. For them, in light of abovementioned reasons, victory will be the only target.
On Sunday every fan will turn into a pilgrim and the Old Trafford will be the hallowed altar. Sacrifices will be made and oblations offered in order to reach the pantheon of footballing demi-gods.
