Manchester United travel to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday on the back of a Champions League exit and having lost 7-0 to Jurgen Klopp’s side at Anfield last seasonRoy Keane and Gary Neville were rightly critical of Manchester United’s capitulation at Liverpool last season and will hope to see an improvement come Sunday.
Anfield has been a far from happy hunting ground for Manchester United in recent seasons. They were humiliated 7-0 last term, beaten 4-0 the year before, haven’t managed a goal there in five years and a win in nearly eight.
Erik ten Hag did mastermind an Old Trafford success early in his reign but the ghosts of the March mauling will be front and centre ahead of Sunday’s clash. United trailed 1-0 at the break but capitulated in the second half leading to criticism from all quarters. Roy Keane and Gary Neville, part of a side who regularly beat Liverpool during a trophy-laden spell, were among the most vocal.
A repeat 7-0 scoreline is 150/1 with the bookies and United must take what Neville and Keane said nine months ago and ensure that at least the mentality and mindset are correct in the hope of achieving a result. Top of the list will be to set the tone and show everyone they are up for the fight.
United were meek in defeats to Bournemouth and Bayern Munich this week but must be strong and solid at Anfield. “You’ve got to show some sort of pride, fight, spirit, they didn’t show any of that,” said Keane last season. “The senior players were embarrassing, didn’t show any leadership skills. The players will be embarrassed, ashamed of their performance.
When the going got tough they went missing.”United will be without their suspended skipper this weekend with Bruno Fernandes sitting the game out after collecting five yellow cards. The Portugal international attracted plenty of flak for his body language last term and whoever captains the side on Sunday must ensure the attitude is right and the senior players and those with big game experience must step up to the mark and ensure the occasion doesn’t get to the Reds.
“They’ve not understood, I don’t think, the dangers of this fixture when you concede a goal and that crowd get up,” said Neville after last season’s horror show. “It can just swallow you alive and that group of Manchester United players have been eaten alive in that second half. “It never happened to us (his United team) out there because we were aware of what could happen – you show respect, you’re not complacent, you’re not naive. In that second half they were unprofessional.”
