Mourinho and Liverpool - A war in waiting

It's coming. Slowly, but surely. We all know it. Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers are edging ever closer toward to the centre of Jose Mourinho's cross hairs. Warning shots are already being fired. The full verbal arsenal is ready to be unleashed.

When Mourinho returned to England back in June, Liverpool were an afterthought. No one considered them title challengers. Why would they? The Reds had finished 7th last season. They wouldn't pose a threat to Chelsea, who would be fighting with Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United for the Premier League crown. That was the conventional wisdom back then. Back then when Mourinho was trying to convince everyone that he was a changed man. More relaxed, less abrasive. Yeah, right.

After a surprisingly sedate first few months back in England, during which he somehow managed to avoid too much controversy, Mourinho discarded his disingenuous 'Happy One' guise and reverted to type: He went on the attack against his those who threatened his team's chances of success.

Mourinho is becoming more vocal about Brendan Rodgers' team

First target: His old foe Arsene Wenger. Classless barbs flew in the direction of the Emirates about how the Frenchman was an 'expert in failure'. Manuel Pellegrini got it in the neck too. Plenty of 'mind games' about 'little horses' and other such nonsense appeared in the press with the purpose of seeking a response and placing pressure on the one Manchester club still in the title hunt. The battle lines had been drawn.

When these assaults were taking place, Arsenal, City and Chelsea were the three teams that everyone was backing to go the distance in the race for the title. Now though, with just seven games remaining, Mourinho's oldest and most detested English rivals are coming into focus.

They have not gone away. They have not faded as most thought they would. Every victory keeps them within touching distance of Chelsea. Within touching distance of Mourinho. Within touching distance of the Premier League trophy. The season is drawing to a close. It is only a matter of time before the insults and 'mind games' go up a notch from Jose and this time they will likely be fired at his bete noir; Liverpool Football Club. To say that there is history is between the two entities is an understatement.

Liverpool are the pimple on Mourinho's perfect face. A permanent scar upon his person. A wound that has yet to fully heal. An enemy he has yet to vanquish. They are the one club that have harmed his C.V - his beloved, precious C.V - more than any other in this country.

Two European Cups denied. An F.A Cup triumph snatched away, too. Luis Garcia, Rafael Benitez, the 'ghost goal' and 'the power of Anfield Road' are things that Jose will take to his grave. He can't let them go. His overall record against the Merseysiders may be impressive (8 wins and 5 defeats), but when it's really mattered, Liverpool have always outdone the self anointed 'Special One' and punctured his ego. He would claim otherwise, of course he would, but he would be telling porkies.

Best of enemies: Benitez and Mourinho at Anfield in 2005 

When quizzed today on whether the Reds' impressive season had surprised him, Mourinho simply repeated the line about Liverpool that he has stuck to all season long. 'They have not had to play in Europe'. The implication is that Liverpool's relative lack of fixtures is the main contributory factor to their success. There is some validity in those comments of course, but the absence of any praise or acknowledgement for a manager with whom he has worked closely and apparently has a good relationship with, speaks volumes. He will not be handing out any compliments to Brendan Rodgers until Liverpool are out of his line of fire.

Like Alex Ferguson before him, Jose Mourinho loves a loser and isn't particularly fond of a winner. If you are no threat to him, you can expect praise and support. During his time as Real Madrid manager, he backed Rodgers to succeed at Liverpool and endorsed him as a top manager. The moment you challenge him? Well, better get your defences ready because an onslaught will materialise quickly. No more nice words for his mate Brendan. Not now.

Liverpool play Chelsea on April 27th. At Anfield. The grave of two of Mourinho's European dreams. If Rodgers' side are still within striking distance of the London club as that game draws close then you can bet that the venom towards Liverpool will really start flying in the press room at Cobham. Mourinho won't be able to help himself.

Fingers are on triggers. Helmets at the ready everyone.

The Nervous Spirit of 2005 Returns to Anfield

Tuesday May 3rd 2005

Whether you were there in body or simply in spirit, you will never forget it. The greatest night in Anfield’s modern history. Arguably it’s greatest night ever. Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea. Rafa in Istanbul. Jose in a tracksuit in desperate need of a shave. Luis Garcia over the line and far away. Six added minutes. Six added bloody minutes! That beautiful thud of the advertising board when Eidur Gudjohnsen fired wide. A sea of twirling scarves and stamping feet. Memories that will last a lifetime and beyond. Utter defiance. WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!

That night I travelled to Anfield on my own. Friends simply couldn't lay their hands on tickets - I was offered £500 for mine the day before the game - and so I stood alone on Kop from 7pm until long after the final whistle belatedly blew. Stood. Not sat. Not many backsides in the ground touched red plastic even once that night. The stadium was full long before kick off. The streets before hand were lined with flags, banners and optimistic people looking for spares. Greatness awaited.

The journey home remains a blur, memorable only for a throat on fire, teary eyes, a body physically exhausted and a mind racing. A mind racing with hopes. A mind focussed on a dream that was so close you could now smell it.

Why the trip down memory lane? Well, it’s not like I need any excuse to recall that wonderful night but, as luck would have it, I have two:

Firstly, upon paying a visit to my parents home last weekend, I unearthed a long lost relic from that joyous evening. A dusty CD packed away in a drawer. A recording taken on the Kop during the game in question. Nearly two hours of glorious, incessant noise. I have since listened back to it and, for all my clearly held memories of May 3rd 2005 that I cherish, a few things stood out that I had seemingly forgotten.

Most notably, between Luis Garcia’s goal and full time there was distinct lack of singing. Never silence, not even close, but rarely a ditty from the Kop. Ring of Fire, Fields of Anfield Road and We Shall Not Be Moved would occasionally emerge from the racket in my ears as I listened back, but it was not as I had remembered it. In my mind I had sung all game long. Not so. This was no crowd concert, it was the sound of 40,000 people filling the air with raw hope, fear and defiance.

The vast majority of the earth shaking noise that was generated inside Anfield that night came from boos - when Chelsea were in possession - and groans followed by galvanising applause - when Liverpool gave the ball away and then sought to win it back - it was a fitting soundtrack for an incomparable night.

My second reason for my reminiscing arrived on Wednesday evening at about half past nine. This time I was regrettably 300 miles from Anfield sat on a couch, nervously and perpetually sipping my beer as Sunderland tried in vain to force an equaliser down at the Anfield Road end. Anxiety was back in the air at Anfield. Every time possession was surrendered or a pass went astray the groans came loud and clear through the TV set. Unbearable nervous tension had seemingly filled the old stadium once again. Sunderland nearly ended the dream just as Chelsea had threatened to do nine years ago. For Eidur Gudjohnsen read John O’Shea. Mercifully, Liverpool saw it out.

Fans line the streets outside Anfield before the Sunderland match

Just as it had been in 2005, Anfield and its surrounding streets had been all flags, banners and songs prior to kick off. By the end it was reduced to a relieved, quivering wreck that needed a lie down before it goes again on Sunday. People seem to have forgotten how stressful and draining this chasing a dream lark is. It’s been a while, hasn't it?

Many have been bemoaning the atmosphere at Anfield recently. Plenty of comments have been made, criticising supporters for a lack of patience and imploring the home fans to give off less of a nervous vibe. A calm approach to these last few games of the season is said to be the way to go. Don’t transmit any negativity to the players. Encourage, don’t berate. Applaud, don’t moan. Yeah, good luck with that.

It’s not happening. Heads have gone. Tension and anxiety are here again accompanying hope and belief. As that long lost CD soundtrack reminded me, it was ever thus when glory was in sight. Dreams are far too close now for rationality to prevail. Calmness isn’t an option any more, I’m afraid. Not now. Not at Anfield. Not after 24 years. This matters far too much. Just like it did on May 3rd 2005. Hold on to your hats, it’s going to be one hell of a ride. WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!

LFC v Spurs: It's Tricky

On Wednesday night we expected the Tricky Reds to entertain us. To enthral us. To thrill us all once more. Pre match predictions centred mainly around how many goals Liverpool were going to score. Would is be four, five or even six again? Would it be Suarez or Sturridge leaving Anfield with the match ball? Everyone expected Liverpool to wipe the floor with a team in the relegation zone. In the end, those predictions were all wrong. Liverpool weren't the Tricky Reds who have dismantled countless teams this season. There were no hat tricks. It wasn't a feast of football. It was just plain tricky. 

The victory over Gus Poyet’s spirited side wasn't poetry in motion. It was a game of clenched fists, grinded teeth and sheer bloody mindedness. Liverpool got over the line when for twenty minutes or so they looked like they might not. A win is a win. 

The performance wasn't what Liverpool supporters have grown accustomed to this season, but in the end, it yielded the same profit as smashing six at Cardiff four days earlier. As everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the final whistle last night, thoughts immediately turned to Sunday. Sunday and Spurs.

Steven Gerrard celebrates his goal against Sunderland with Luis Suarez

Tim Sherwood has more going for him than most on Merseyside would like to admit right now. Sure, he has less tactical flexibility and knowhow than David Moyes, but his team represent a genuine threat to Liverpool’s title hopes this weekend. It will probably be tricky. Again. 

Just like the Reds, Tottenham are rolling in to this one believing. They believe they can catch their freefalling neighbours and claim an unlikely top four finish ahead of ours. They were two nil down to a Southampton team who made them look exactly what they are - ordinary and unsophisticated - for 45 minutes last week. Yet, they too found a way to win. 

By the time the game kicks off at Anfield, they have had a weeks rest. A week to prepare. For once, Liverpool will have no such luxury. The boot is on the other foot this time. Brendan Rodgers, not Tim Sherwood is the manager who has to extract another performance from his side for the third time in little over seven days. It is a task that has often proven too much Sherwood and his predecessor Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham this term. Those midweek Europa League matches have hindered the London club. 

Whatever side Rodgers puts out this Sunday, the Reds won’t be fresh as they have been for most of this season. That much was obvious against Sunderland where the strain of playing two high pressure games in four days told. The Reds looked out on their feet in the final ten minutes. They needed that final whistle and no wonder. 

Tim Sherwood can end Liverpool's title charge this weekend

Liverpool don’t so much have a squad as a gang right now. A gang of thirteen or fourteen fighting against Chelsea and City’s squads of twenty plus. Strength resides within Anfield but depth does not. Rotation is not an option at the moment. Neither is defeat. 

Sunday is unlikely to see the Reds playing with the exuberance and verve that they exhibited when they stormed White Hart Lane back in December. For all their heroics this term, these lads - Suarez, Sturridge, Gerrard et al - are human. Just. They can’t go at it in top gear for ninety minutes three times in a week. Not now. Too much mileage already on the clock. Too much pressure and nervous tension taking their toll. Forget about goal gluts and hat tricks and poetry in motion this weekend. It’s all about finding a way to win again. 

Seven wins in a row. Seven more to go.

Rodgers at Liverpool: 6 Defining games

Brendan Rodgers took on the daunting task of replacing Kenny Dalglish as the manager of Liverpool Football Club 21 months ago. He inherited a squad that had finished 8th in the Premier League after amassing a paltry 52 points in the 2011/12 season. Right now, Liverpool lie second in the Premier League with 62 points on the board and 27 more to play for. Scratch that. They lie second in the Premier League with 62 points on the board and 27 more to be won. They have an excellent chance of securing their 19th league title. It has been an astounding turnaround in such a short space of time. I thought this might be an appropriate juncture at which to have a little glance back at six of Brendan Rodgers’ most significant games as Liverpool manager to date.

26/8/2012 Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City - Change is good

Rodgers’ first league game at Anfield did not end in victory. It did, however, set a precedent.

Right from the start against City, one thing was crystal clear: The new-look Liverpool would be cast in their manager’s image. They would be progressive and they would endeavour to entertain at all costs.

A Martin Skrtel header on 34 minutes deservedly put Liverpool one up before a messy second half equaliser from Yaya Toure - who would describe this game as ‘the hardest match I have played in since coming to England’ - levelled things. Luis Suarez scored a wonderful free kick to restore the Reds’ lead. With the match winding down in the late summer haze, Liverpool looked a side refreshed and one capable of playing neat, tidy, enterprising football. A massive win looked to be in the bag, but with the finish line in sight, Skrtel went from hero to villain and left Anfield deflated courtesy of an errant back pass. Despite the obvious disappointment, this was the day that the first building blocks of the Rodgers era were laid down for all to see.

What is particularly interesting about this game when you look back at it, is that it acutely brings into focus the pragmatism and adaptability that Rodgers has showcased during his tenure at Anfield. These characteristics have been pleasant surprises. This was a game where Liverpool played in his much publicised 4-3-3 Swansea ‘tiki-taka’ style. Possession was of paramount importance. On this day, Liverpool players passed. Then they passed again. Then they passed some more.

At the time, it was widely assumed that this would be Liverpool’s approach evermore under Rodgers. For a while, it was. The football was easy on the eye and it drew compliments aplenty, yet for all the admiration and praise, victories for were few and far between early on under their new manager (just 3 in the first 14 league fixtures). As a result, Rodgers implemented significant change on his team’s style and the Reds gradually became the far more direct side who enthrall today.

Liverpool have since become more flexible systemically, deviating regularly from the once set in stone 4-3-3. This game was emblematic of early life at Anfield under Rodgers. Plenty of promise with little in the way of tangible reward. This match provided a foundation, but what has been built on top of that base probably wasn’t what Brendan Rodgers had envisaged back in August 2012.

27/4/2013 Newcastle 0-6 Liverpool - A transformation taking place

At the beginning of last season Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge were often found kicking their heels on the substitute benches at the San Siro and Stamford Bridge respectively. Jordan Henderson was kicking his at Anfield of course, but only because he had refused to join Fulham as a makeweight in a proposed deal for Clint Dempsey (Yes, you read that correctly). By April these three men were proving to be instrumental in ushering in the second phase of Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side. On this day, at the ground formerly known as the Sports Direct Arena, Coutinho, Sturridge and Henderson were offering Liverpool supporters a tantalising glimpse of what was to come.

This game came hot on the heels of the whole Luis Suarez biting shitstorm. In the absence of the Uruguayan, Henderson and Sturridge each bagged a brace while Coutinho repeatedly bamboozled Newcastle with his dribbling and vision. Luis Suarez aside, it is this trio of players who have best symbolised and indeed, manifested Liverpool’s evolution under Rodgers.

Those players deserve a lot of credit for this, but so to does the manager. He has worked with Sturridge and his previously unfulfilled potential and turned him into England’s finest centre forward in under 18 months. He has transformed Jordan Henderson from a timid little boy lost into a midfield monster. Philippe Coutinho has everything that Rodgers wants and demands from his players - technique, intelligence and skill but the manager has also instilled an incredible work ethic into the little maestro. These three young players have helped to take Liverpool up a level and this game was an early clue for how influential they would be going forward.

Laugh as we might at the Geordies (and to be fair, we often do), teams simply don’t demolish them 6-0 at St James’ Park unless they have something a little bit special in their locker. This game was a precursor for what was to come this season and crystalised the shift in Rodgers’ methods from his embryonic days as Liverpool manager. His team weren’t at St James’ Park to keep the ball and pass Newcastle into submission - they had tried and failed with that approach at Anfield earlier in the season - they were now set up to go for the throat. To pilfer a lovely analogy from Jurgen Klopp; Liverpool weren’t attempting to play classical music anymore, they were on their way to becoming a heavy metal band turned up to eleven.

15/12/2013 Spurs 0-5 Liverpool - It all comes together

No Steven Gerrard. No Daniel Sturridge. No wins at the Lane in six attempts. No matter. Liverpool romped home to a resounding victory against Tottenham - who, remarkably, would have drawn level on points with the Reds in the table had they won this match - in the most accomplished manner imaginable. This was the single most impressive performance under Brendan Rodgers to date and it remains Liverpool’s best away performance for many a year.

Luis Suarez captained the Reds and scored 2 delightful goals while also providing assists for Jon Flanagan, Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling. This game saw the tenure of Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas come to an end. There was no way back for the Portuguese after this comprehensive mauling.

Joe Allen, Lucas and Jordan Henderson showed everyone what a Liverpool midfield without Steven Gerrard might look like and boy was it a damn sight better than most had thought possible. The captain has rightly regained his place in the side since but it was comforting to see the lesser heralded midfielders at the club play with such purpose in this match.

The measure of control on display in this game from Rodgers’ side was particularly impressive. Tottenham were a team chasing the Champions League. They were hot on Liverpool’s heels in the table. They were at home. They barely created a chance in ninety minutes of football.

Liverpool’s pressing was relentless. Their passing was intelligent and direct. They exploited Spurs’ high defensive line ruthlessly, punishing them time and again with runs in behind. They made Michael Dawson look like a cat chasing it’s own tail. They chewed Tottenham up and spat them out.

28/1/2014 Liverpool 4-0 Everton - A lesson learned & A lesson given

Rarely can Evertonians have been more confident as they made the journey across Stanley Park as they were on this night. The Blues were just a solitary point behind Liverpool before kick off and were justifiably hopeful of beating their rivals to a top four finish. Their team had long since cast off the shackles of David Moyes and were now playing a vibrant, adventurous brand of football. This was supposed to be their night.

Liverpool went into this game with the same starting 11 that had performed fairly wretchedly against Aston Villa just ten days earlier (with the exception of Jon Flanagan, who replaced the injured Glen Johnson at full back). Fortunately, Brendan Rodgers didn’t apply the same tactical system as he in the Villa debacle. Once again he demonstrated that his own mistakes had been internally identified and swiftly rectified.

The theory upon seeing the two team sheets prior to kick off was that Everton would play through Liverpool’s midfield with their impressive triumvirate of James McCarthy, Gareth Barry and the returning Ross Barkley back in tandem. The practise was different. Very different. Where Gerrard had been isolated and exposed against Aston Villa, here he was guarded closely by the perpetual motion of Henderson and a deeper, tenacious Philippe Coutinho.

It was the skipper himself who opened the scoring right in front of the coin throwing away fans and not long after they had finished venting their anger at him, Daniel Sturridge had all but put the game to bed. His 2 goals in 2 minutes silenced the previously optimistic Blues and put Liverpool 3-0 up before half time. There was no coming back for Everton. Their fans were being shown the way to go home before they had even settled into their seats.

Rodgers’ surprise shift to a tighter, more compact midfield three and his positioning of Daniel Sturridge on the left wing - thus isolating and exposing the inexperienced John Stones - left Roberto Martinez and his Everton side flummoxed. Luis Suarez would make it 4-0 after the break as Anfield saluted yet another win over their neighbours. This was supposed to be the night that Everton rid themselves of their Anfield inferiority complex and closed the gap on Liverpool. Instead, by the end, the void across Stanley Park had rarely looked so vast.

8/2/2014 Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal - Bullies

The best opening 20 minutes of football Anfield has seen in decades. If Juventus in 2005 took the breath away then this was almost heart stopping stuff. Arsenal were the league leaders when they came to L4. They were the best English football had to offer.

A Martin Skrtel brace inside 10 minutes set the tone. Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge had Liverpool four goals to the good after 19 minutes. It could have been more. It should have been more. Luis Suarez smashed a post with a 25 yard volley that would have been one of the greatest goals ever to grace Anfield. That the ball rebelliously bounced away from goal rather than into the net remains one of this season’s greatest regrets. Daniel Sturridge missed a one on one opportunity that he usually dispatches with ease. The Gunners had absolutely no answer. They couldn’t stem the red tide that engulfed and devoured them.

Jordan Henderson hounded the £42m Mesut Ozil so effectively that by half time the German international resembled a kid in a playground who had had his lunch money taken from him by a bigger boy. Philippe Coutinho pulled strings in midfield as masterfully as Hendrix did at Woodstock. Liverpool were imperious and even after they were able to take their foot off the throttle with seventy - yes seventy - minutes remaining, they still bossed Arsenal around with unapologetic arrogance. Sterling would add a fifth in the second half before Mikel Arteta notched Arsenal’s least significant goal of the season from the penalty spot.

This wasn’t the precise, methodical, sedate tiki-taka ‘death by football’ that Rodgers had proclaimed he was aiming for when he arrived from Swansea. This was a slaughter. A bludgeoning. An evisceration. An awesome display of pace, power and tenacity against the hitherto best side in England - ‘Thanks lads. We’ll take that moniker from here on in’

16/3/2014 Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool - Poetry in Motion. But not really

This game hasn’t been selected because it was one of Liverpool’s best six performances under Brendan Rodgers. In truth, this routine, professional win wouldn’t even rank as one of Liverpool’s top six performances this season. That’s what made it so special.

Sure, this was United under Moyes - restrained by those same shackles that Everton have escaped from - and sure, they are pretty ordinary these days, but Liverpool’s record at Old Trafford is too. It was 10 defeats in 11 games in the last decade before Sunday, if you require the numbers. The Reds had even somehow conspired to lose to this Moyes incarnation of United earlier in the season in the Capital One Cup.

United’s defensive record at home wasn’t bad going into this game - they had conceded just 12 league goals all season at Old Trafford. That Liverpool’s attacking play was often wasteful in this match merely serves to highlight just how good they are now. Consider this if you will: Suarez and Sturridge were largely off colour and plenty of promising counter attacks broke down for Rodgers’ team, yet they still ran out 3-0 winners and could conceivably have scored 6 or 7 times. 6 or 7! Away at United. Away. At. United.

Gerrard missed a penalty, Sturridge and Suarez were denied further legitimate claims for spot kicks and David De Gea made one of the most astonishing saves you will ever see. While many predicted an emphatic Liverpool win in the run up to this fixture, no one could have imagined that happening with Liverpool being somewhat below par. That Brendan’s Tricky Reds managed to do just that underlines how far Rodgers has taken this team. And how far they can still go. There is a title to be won.

High time to end the Old Trafford Hoodoo

13th January 2013

‘Der der der der der der der RACIST BASTARD!’

I am sat in the South stand at Old Trafford awaiting kick-off as Luis Suarez predictably receives an earful from the Stretford End while he warms up. I have been afforded the dubious honour of sitting in with the United fans by my girlfriend’s Father who has very kindly given me his season ticket for this match. I couldn't refuse his generous, well meaning gesture and, against my better judgement, here I am, surrounded by the enemy and having to bite my tongue.   

‘This is the One’ by the Stone Roses blasts out on the speaker system as the players ready themselves in the tunnel. Despite the United connection that this song has, I love it but not even the sound of Reni’s genius drumming and John Squire’s guitar can lift my spirits. Any genuine hope I had of Liverpool winning this game has pretty much dissipated already. The Reds' starting eleven looks weak. Youngsters Wisdom and Sterling start and so does Stewart Downing. There is no Jordan Henderson. An out of form Joe Allen plays instead. Another defeat at the hands of the old enemy is on the way.

‘Ohh Robin van Persie!’

Twenty minutes in and United lead 1-0 through van Persie. It is a chastening experience being in amongst the gloating Mancunian masses. I am watching Liverpool being completely outplayed by a United team strolling their way to their 20th league title. I am freezing and I forgot my gloves. I am wondering why I am here.

Rob van Persie opens the scoring at Old Trafford last season

‘Giggsy twelve, Gerrard nil’

Mercifully, half time has arrived and the score line is still just 1-0. Liverpool have barely crossed the half way line with the ball. United haven’t looked that special - they rarely did last season despite being crowned champions - but they are far more assured than the away side. Joe Allen and little Raheem Sterling have looked like boys drafted in for a senior match. Stewart Downing has disappeared from view. United have toyed with Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers’ side have had no answer.

‘You Scouse Bastards’

The game is over. It ends 2-1 to United. Liverpool played better in the second half and Daniel Sturridge had provided some hope for his team with his first goal on his début - a sign of things to come - but in truth it was too little too late and United had retreated after they doubled their lead through Vidic. They were clearly the better, more accomplished team. It’s not been a great day. The worst thing though, is that this is no surprise. A defeat was expected. Despite an improvement after the break, Liverpool have limped their way to a loss at Old Trafford. Again. Snow falls as I exit the ground in amongst the throng of delighted home supporters and Liverpool’s prospects look as bleak as the weather right now. We’re miles behind United on and off the pitch and the Champions League is a distant speck on the horizon. A memory. A glorious memory, but a memory nonetheless.

March 10th 2014

Fourteen months on and here I am having to drag up memories of that disappointing experience that I've tried my best to forget. This weekend Liverpool go back to Old Trafford and since that horrible day in Salford not too much has gone wrong for the Reds. They have been on an upward curve since that day and have amazingly long since passed a descending Manchester United as their own remarkable slide down the Premier League table has taken place.

Liverpool are now a better team than the reigning champions. Who saw that coming when Nemanja Vidic made in 2-0 back last January? United are floundering under the tutelage of ‘The Chosen One’ while Brendan’s Tricky Reds lie second in the table. What a difference fourteen months makes, eh?

Liverpool are eleven points clear of United in the league. They beat them in the reverse fixture at Anfield 1-0 early on this season. United look devoid of confidence and rhythm while Rodgers’ team are the form side in the country with a front line that is the envy of Europe. So why are plenty of Liverpool supporters not exactly brimming with confidence ahead of this weekend’s clash?

In short, because it’s them. And it’s there. Liverpool are almost uniformly awful when they play in Salford. One win in ten years. Ten defeats in the last eleven visits. Even when the Reds have played well and deserved a victory at United’s stadium they have somehow managed to blow it. Be it Djibril Cisse missing an open goal or Rio Ferdinand snatching an undeserved injury time winner, Liverpool always seem to find a way to lose at Old Trafford.

Despite lying 6th in the league table and on being on a rotten run of form that has lasted for months now, United are a shorter price for a win on Sunday than Liverpool. History seems to count for a lot in this fixture.

Even when Liverpool were dominating English football for two decades, United away was always a game where the potential for defeat loomed large. Old Trafford isn't a lucky ground for Liverpool to put it mildly. It never has been. Supporters expectations are usually low and rarely are they proven wrong. It is high time that Liverpool reversed the pattern. If they require an example of how to approach this upcoming game then their captain should have the answer.

This Sunday it will be almost exactly five years to the day since Liverpool last recorded a win at Old Trafford. Five years since that glorious 1-4 mauling. The spirit and approach of that victory must reappear on Sunday. The Reds had to win that day to maintain any type of title challenge and win they did. They were assertive. They played to a clear game plan. They were bold. They battered an excellent Manchester United team. They sent a message out that they were still in the hunt for the title and they almost snatched the trophy from United in the remaining games as a result. It was the last time that Liverpool held any hope of a league title as spring approached. Until now.

The last time Liverpool won away to United was memorable

At this moment, Liverpool aren't in a battle for a top four finish. They are once more gunning for the title at the business end of the season. This Sunday they need to play like it. A draw away to United - even this Moyes (un)inspired United - would be a decent result for a side aiming for fourth place, but for Liverpool it would be of little use. The margin for error in the next ten games for Brendan Rodgers and his players is zero. They are walking a tightrope with no safety net. Chelsea will likely be ten points clear of the Reds when kick-off arrives on Sunday afternoon (having played 2 games more) and nothing but a win at Old Trafford will suffice.

The spirit of Andrea Dossena’s lob, Fab Aurelio’s pin-point free kick and Gerrard’s camera kiss has lay dormant for too long. Too often Liverpool have exposed their fans to the kind of demoralising day that I described earlier in this piece when visiting Old Trafford. It can't happen again. It’s time for Liverpool to cement their superiority over Moyes’ team. It’s time to banish the painful memories of the last decade. It’s time to be bold and go for the throat. It’s time to end the Old Trafford inferiority complex. It’s time to win the fucking league again.