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Manchester United’s midfield supremacy causes Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard to lose his head Manchester United’s midfield supremacy causes Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard to lose his head
(34 minutes later)
Oh, Stevie. What a way to say goodbye. Liverpool’s captain did at least on this occasion keep his footing. Unfortunately this was at the expense of Ander Herrera’s shin, on which Steven Gerrard’s foot rested briefly, 38 seconds into what was a final appearance against the dominant domestic force of Gerrard’s almost-but-not-quite Premier League career. It wasn’t a vicious stamp, but it was enough to ensure he was sent off in the opening minute of the second half at Anfield, a horrendous moment for Liverpool’s departing captain in what was by the end a narrow 2-1 defeat by Manchester United.Oh, Stevie. What a way to say goodbye. Liverpool’s captain did at least on this occasion keep his footing. Unfortunately this was at the expense of Ander Herrera’s shin, on which Steven Gerrard’s foot rested briefly, 38 seconds into what was a final appearance against the dominant domestic force of Gerrard’s almost-but-not-quite Premier League career. It wasn’t a vicious stamp, but it was enough to ensure he was sent off in the opening minute of the second half at Anfield, a horrendous moment for Liverpool’s departing captain in what was by the end a narrow 2-1 defeat by Manchester United.
No doubt a great deal of cod-psychology will be devoted to Gerrard’s split-second motives, the theatre of departure, a Lear-ish sense of fading powers and crumbling fiefdoms. But the fact is his red card for an over-zealous attempt to reverse the momentum of the game also seemed to fit with the tactical drift of two contrasting systems as, once again in the spring sunshine, Brendan Rodgers suffered a bruising day at the office against A-list managerial opposition. No doubt a great deal of cod‑psychology will be devoted to Gerrard’s split-second motives, the theatre of departure, a Lear-ish sense of fading powers and crumbling fiefdoms. But the fact is his red card for an over-zealous attempt to reverse the momentum of the game also seemed to fit with the tactical drift of two contrasting systems as, once again in the spring sunshine, Brendan Rodgers suffered a bruising day at the office against A-list managerial opposition.
At the final whistle here Louis van Gaal took the unusual step, as José Mourinho did last year, of striding across to celebrate with the visiting fans. Van Gaal will have relished this victory as much as any of his players, as United’s targeted direct football, combined with some swift-breaking transitions and two sublime goals from Juan Mata made the difference against a Liverpool team that only showed in glimpses their finely-grooved attacking football of the last few weeks. At the final whistle Louis van Gaal took the unusual step, as José Mourinho did last year, of striding across to celebrate with the visiting fans. Van Gaal will have relished this victory as much as any of his players, as United’s targeted direct football, combined with some swift-breaking transitions and two sublime goals from Juan Mata made the difference against a Liverpool team that only showed in glimpses their finely‑grooved attacking football of the last few weeks.
Last season against Chelsea Rodgers was accused of abandoning his team’s fluid passing principles in the face of Mourinho’s blue-shirted double bolt. Here it was United who played the more rugged football, bullying Liverpool’s midfield at times and providing a genuinely painful one-man horror show as Emre Can was for 60 minutes repeatedly pummelled in the air by Marouane Fellaini.Last season against Chelsea Rodgers was accused of abandoning his team’s fluid passing principles in the face of Mourinho’s blue-shirted double bolt. Here it was United who played the more rugged football, bullying Liverpool’s midfield at times and providing a genuinely painful one-man horror show as Emre Can was for 60 minutes repeatedly pummelled in the air by Marouane Fellaini.
With this in mind it is hard not find a little synergy between Gerrard’s red card and United’s muscular command of midfield. Gerrard had been introduced in place of Adam Lallana with a clear detail in mind judging by his first act, a thrilling but slightly wild tackle on Mata. Seconds later Liverpool’s captain clashed with Herrera and was left trooping off in a daze, looking like a wrestler who’s just been tagged into the ring to rescue his pigeon-chested partner only to abruptly knock himself out with a forearm smash to the jaw.With this in mind it is hard not find a little synergy between Gerrard’s red card and United’s muscular command of midfield. Gerrard had been introduced in place of Adam Lallana with a clear detail in mind judging by his first act, a thrilling but slightly wild tackle on Mata. Seconds later Liverpool’s captain clashed with Herrera and was left trooping off in a daze, looking like a wrestler who’s just been tagged into the ring to rescue his pigeon-chested partner only to abruptly knock himself out with a forearm smash to the jaw.
The suspicion had always been that the physical battle between Can and Fellaini would be key, with Fellaini’s bruising, aerial take on the inside-left position always likely to pick at Can’s weak spot as a central defender. The first “rapid aerial transition” towards Fellaini’s head duly arrived in the opening seconds as Liverpool were for a while bypassed in midfield. The suspicion had always been that the physical battle between Can and Fellaini would be key, with Fellaini’s bruising, aerial take on the inside-left position always likely to pick at Can’s weak spot as a central defender. The first “rapid aerial transition” towards Fellaini’s head duly arrived in the opening seconds and Liverpool were for a while bypassed in midfield.
The Fellaini chest remains one of the mini-marvels of the modern game, an adhesive, velvety-soft cradle, like an ancient baseball catcher’s mitt, into which the ball just seems to nestle from any angle. Arsenal had countered Fellaini’s influence at Old Trafford by putting Francis Coquelin in his pocket of space, a defensive midfielder with the discipline to do little more than hoover up the fruits of his knockdowns.The Fellaini chest remains one of the mini-marvels of the modern game, an adhesive, velvety-soft cradle, like an ancient baseball catcher’s mitt, into which the ball just seems to nestle from any angle. Arsenal had countered Fellaini’s influence at Old Trafford by putting Francis Coquelin in his pocket of space, a defensive midfielder with the discipline to do little more than hoover up the fruits of his knockdowns.
Here at times it was almost painful to see Fellaini drift malevolently towards Can, who must have found himself wondering if, all things considered, this was really what he signed up for, a player schooled in pass and move and engineered to German academy standards being battered under the high ball by an angular Belgian repeatedly snaffling the ball into that marsupial pouch he appears to keep somewhere below his chin. Here at times it was almost painful to see Fellaini drift malevolently towards Can, who must have found himself wondering if, all things considered, this was really what he signed up for; a player schooled in pass and move and engineered to German academy standards being battered under the high ball by an angular Belgian repeatedly snaffling the ball into that marsupial pouch he appears to keep somewhere below his chin.
And yet for all the aerial softening up it was a beautifully swift piece of incision that made the first goal, conceived and finished by United’s mix and match midfield. Fellaini took the ball in the centre circle and laid it right to Herrera via Daley Blind. Herrera’s pass into the space between the centre-backs and Alberto Moreno was fizzed but perfectly weighted for Mata’s run, and the ball was zinged unerringly into the corner. And yet for all the aerial softening up it was a beautifully swift piece of incision that made the first goal, conceived and finished by United’s mix and match midfield. Fellaini took the ball in the centre circle and laid it right to Herrera via Daley Blind. Herrera’s pass into the space between the centre‑backs and Alberto Moreno was fizzed but perfectly weighted for Mata’s run, and the ball was zinged unerringly into the corner.
Fellaini and Mata have both been criticised for a lack of pace, while Herrera is hardly a flying machine and yet the three of them produced a passing move here that was too thrillingly swift for Liverpool’s cover, with nobody covering more than five yards in possession. As at least one Dutch footballing intellectual has pointed out, nothing moves faster than the ball. Fellaini and Mata have both been criticised for a lack of pace, while Herrera is hardly a flying machine and yet the three of them produced a passing move here that was too thrillingly swift for Liverpool’s cover, with nobody moving more than five yards in possession. As at least one Dutch footballing intellectual has pointed out, nothing moves faster than the ball. The second goal was similar, a moment of fine, triangular passing, topped with breathtaking finish.
The second goal was similar, a moment of fine, triangular passing, topped with breathtaking finish. Ángel Di María returned the ball to Mata at chest height and the Spaniard produced a moment of sublime improvisation, hurling himself into a gymnastic scissors volley and caressing the ball into the corner. Ángel Di María returned the ball to Mata at chest height and the Spaniard produced a moment of sublime improvisation, hurling himself into a gymnastic scissors volley and caressing the ball into the corner.
Liverpool responded with great heart and with 20 minutes left it was 2-1, the goal finished by Daniel Sturridge, who flashed a shot across David De Gea and into something that wasn’t quite the corner. By then, though, not only were they behind and down to 10 men but it had become clear almost from the start Rodgers had spiked his own guns by playing Sterling in a withdrawn right wing-back position. From there Liverpool’s most direct attacking threat was reduced to a scuttling irrelevance, taking throw-ins and tackling by the corner flag. Liverpool responded with great heart and with 20 minutes left it was 2-1, the goal finished by Daniel Sturridge, who flashed a shot across David De Gea and into something that wasn’t quite the corner.
By then, though, not only were they behind and down to 10 men but it had become clear almost from the start Rodgers had spiked his own guns by playing Sterling in a withdrawn right wing-back position. From there Liverpool’s most direct attacking threat was reduced to a scuttling irrelevance, taking throw-ins and tackling by the corner flag.
The change at half-time seemed the right one, with Gerrard on to add steel in the middle and Sterling pushed further forward. Then came Gerrard’s departure: a moment of witlessness, but symptomatic of a team that looked physically outgunned from the start.The change at half-time seemed the right one, with Gerrard on to add steel in the middle and Sterling pushed further forward. Then came Gerrard’s departure: a moment of witlessness, but symptomatic of a team that looked physically outgunned from the start.