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| Louis van Gaal hails Manchester United as Liverpool’s Gerrard apologises | Louis van Gaal hails Manchester United as Liverpool’s Gerrard apologises |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| Steven Gerrard issued a thorough apology to Brendan Rodgers, his Liverpool team-mates and the club’s supporters after being sent off for a deliberate stamp on Ander Herrera only 38 seconds into his final appearance against Manchester United. | Steven Gerrard issued a thorough apology to Brendan Rodgers, his Liverpool team-mates and the club’s supporters after being sent off for a deliberate stamp on Ander Herrera only 38 seconds into his final appearance against Manchester United. |
| The Liverpool captain took full responsibility for his side’s 2-1 defeat at Anfield where Juan Mata struck twice to establish a five-point gap between United and Rodgers’ team in the race for a top-four finish. Louis van Gaal hailed the result as very significant in the contest for Champions League qualification and Liverpool could also lose Martin Skrtel to a retrospective ban after the defender lunged in on the United goalkeeper David de Gea in the final act of an eventful game. | The Liverpool captain took full responsibility for his side’s 2-1 defeat at Anfield where Juan Mata struck twice to establish a five-point gap between United and Rodgers’ team in the race for a top-four finish. Louis van Gaal hailed the result as very significant in the contest for Champions League qualification and Liverpool could also lose Martin Skrtel to a retrospective ban after the defender lunged in on the United goalkeeper David de Gea in the final act of an eventful game. |
| Van Gaal felt United had played “Liverpool off the pitch” in a first-half performance he described as the best of his tenure. “We beat Liverpool again with their own weapons and the pressure on the ball,” said the United manager. “Now the gap is five points ahead of Liverpool and six ahead of Tottenham and Southampton so the moment to win is one of the most important in my career.” | Van Gaal felt United had played “Liverpool off the pitch” in a first-half performance he described as the best of his tenure. “We beat Liverpool again with their own weapons and the pressure on the ball,” said the United manager. “Now the gap is five points ahead of Liverpool and six ahead of Tottenham and Southampton so the moment to win is one of the most important in my career.” |
| But it was Gerrard’s moment of madness that shaped the contest and damaged Liverpool’s hopes of overtaking United in fourth place. The 34-year-old was introduced as a half-time substitute by Rodgers in response to a poor first-half display from Liverpool and immediately threw himself into a strong but clean challenge on Mata. Moments later, in response to a tackle from Herrera that earned the Basque midfielder a booking, Gerrard stunned Anfield by stamping on the United player. The referee, Martin Atkinson, dismissed the captain and Gerrard will now miss Premier League matches against Arsenal and Newcastle United plus the FA Cup quarter-final replay at Blackburn Rovers. | But it was Gerrard’s moment of madness that shaped the contest and damaged Liverpool’s hopes of overtaking United in fourth place. The 34-year-old was introduced as a half-time substitute by Rodgers in response to a poor first-half display from Liverpool and immediately threw himself into a strong but clean challenge on Mata. Moments later, in response to a tackle from Herrera that earned the Basque midfielder a booking, Gerrard stunned Anfield by stamping on the United player. The referee, Martin Atkinson, dismissed the captain and Gerrard will now miss Premier League matches against Arsenal and Newcastle United plus the FA Cup quarter-final replay at Blackburn Rovers. |
| “I’ve got to accept it. The decision was right,” said Gerrard, having chosen to apologise through Sky television. “I’ve let my team-mates and manager down and more importantly I’ve let all the supporters down. | “I’ve got to accept it. The decision was right,” said Gerrard, having chosen to apologise through Sky television. “I’ve let my team-mates and manager down and more importantly I’ve let all the supporters down. |
| “I take full responsibility for my actions. I think I’ve tried to jump his tackle and I’ve reacted when I’ve seen his studs showing. But I’ve been in the game long enough to know when you do that with 45 minutes to play and a great opportunity to get back into the game – I take full responsibility.” | “I take full responsibility for my actions. I think I’ve tried to jump his tackle and I’ve reacted when I’ve seen his studs showing. But I’ve been in the game long enough to know when you do that with 45 minutes to play and a great opportunity to get back into the game – I take full responsibility.” |
| Rodgers preferred to praise Gerrard for making the apology rather than condemn his captain for a dismissal that left his team-mates facing an uphill task against their closest rivals for a Champions League place. He also insisted there was more to Liverpool’s first league defeat since losing at United on 14 December than the midfielder’s foolishness. | Rodgers preferred to praise Gerrard for making the apology rather than condemn his captain for a dismissal that left his team-mates facing an uphill task against their closest rivals for a Champions League place. He also insisted there was more to Liverpool’s first league defeat since losing at United on 14 December than the midfielder’s foolishness. |
| “It is big of someone when they do get sent off to come out and apologise,” the Liverpool manager said. “He was probably frustrated watching us in the first half as we didn’t make a tackle. He was man enough to come out and apologise. Our game was set up to come out and press but we were too deep and we handed over control way too easily. | “It is big of someone when they do get sent off to come out and apologise,” the Liverpool manager said. “He was probably frustrated watching us in the first half as we didn’t make a tackle. He was man enough to come out and apologise. Our game was set up to come out and press but we were too deep and we handed over control way too easily. |
| Related: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United | Premier League match report | Related: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United | Premier League match report |
| “We were never in the right position. In the second half the players showed why we have been on a great run with their character and resilience. We were still in it right to the end. The first half cost us more than the second.” | “We were never in the right position. In the second half the players showed why we have been on a great run with their character and resilience. We were still in it right to the end. The first half cost us more than the second.” |
| Van Gaal said he was perplexed as to why United had performed worse after the interval: “The second half was not so good and that is amazing a little bit because with 11 against 10 it should be easier. I come in the dressing room and I give all my compliments but then in the second half everything is changing because of the red card and we are not any more playing like a team. | Van Gaal said he was perplexed as to why United had performed worse after the interval: “The second half was not so good and that is amazing a little bit because with 11 against 10 it should be easier. I come in the dressing room and I give all my compliments but then in the second half everything is changing because of the red card and we are not any more playing like a team. |
| “We are running with the ball, unnecessary losses of the ball and when we don’t have the ball, we don’t press the opponent with the ball and that was different. Nevertheless we don’t give much chances away because De Gea – I cannot remember a fantastic save.” | “We are running with the ball, unnecessary losses of the ball and when we don’t have the ball, we don’t press the opponent with the ball and that was different. Nevertheless we don’t give much chances away because De Gea – I cannot remember a fantastic save.” |
| De Gea rounded angrily on Skrtel after the final whistle, having been caught by the defender inside the area. The FA will consider the referee’s match report and study video evidence before deciding whether the Slovakia international should face retrospective action. But Rodgers said: “The ball has been played through and it looks like it, when it is slowed down, that he has caught him with intent, but I didn’t see it like that. He is trying to get the ball.” | De Gea rounded angrily on Skrtel after the final whistle, having been caught by the defender inside the area. The FA will consider the referee’s match report and study video evidence before deciding whether the Slovakia international should face retrospective action. But Rodgers said: “The ball has been played through and it looks like it, when it is slowed down, that he has caught him with intent, but I didn’t see it like that. He is trying to get the ball.” |