We beat United at their own game

We beat them at their game


Walter Tuffy
Red

KENNY Dalglish is one shrewd operator after this week of weeks for Liverpool.
On Wednesday he set up his team to play football against a footballing team and won. Then, on Saturday, he out-hoofed the hoofers and won. Not a bad week at all, was it?
I was lucky enough to be in the Kop on Wednesday night to experience a truly wonderful occasion. The tickets, atmosphere, and result were great and I witnessed the best team in England play some beautiful football with all four goals being a demonstration on the art of football as it should be played.
In fairness to City they do possess some truly gifted players. I, for one, was wondering were they right to jettison Given in favour of Hart some years ago but that has proved eminently correct as he now ranks as the best keeper in England, bar none.
City also have in their ranks a certain David Villa whose close control and deft touches would remind you of a certain Diego Maradona. Still, we crossed over the line (or should that be fell?) and now a final in Wembley await us after sixteen long years.
The Saturday morning kick-off was a decidely different affair, Liverpool relinquished large chunks of possession and relied on set-pieces and counter-attacks to deliver a result.
We scored from a corner — a header — from a British style Dane, although the keeper got little or no protection from his defenders. In fact I felt it kind of strange that when Carroll and Skertel where throwing shapes in the box, it was Evans and Valencia who squared up to them.
Our winner came from the original ‘route one’ up the middle to the big man, the flick on to the willing runner, and voila! You’re in the last sixteen.
This style of play is what football detractors use to insult us. It is ‘caveman football’ perpetrated by Wimbledon FC, George Graham’s Arsenal, and Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland to name but a few.
Unfortunately, it also is successful and wins you leagues, particularly in England, as few English teams are set up to play the beautiful game. If you watch ‘Match of the Day’ on any given weekend you will see most goals are a result of this strategy.
Dalglish knew this on Saturday and set up his team to defend the long balls and, more importantly, to stop the wingers from getting the crosses in. In other words, he said give them the football and see can they play football?
Well, only for one glaring error by Enrique the plan would have worked 100%. Unfortunately, Enrique’s error led to United’s only chance which they converted following a hoof to the winger who in turn. . . Ah, you know it by now!
The game itself was overshadowed by the ‘race card’ with ITV trying gamely to provide some incident when none was apparent. The TV cameras did pick up some character dressed in white doing some monkey dance as if this is news apparently. I would give a wild guess that this poor individual has little interest, if any, in football, beautiful or otherwise.
Meanwhile, some of the chants performed by the City fans on Wednesday night were hilarious, with one particular rebuttal staying in my head since.
The Kop were in full voice with, “We only hate Manc’s, We only hate Manc’s, We’re not racist, We only hate Manc’s” when the City fans countered, “Ye only hate work, Ye only hate work, Ye lazy scousers, Ye only hate work”.
A United banner on Saturday also read, “United defending champions, Liverpool defending racists’. So they must have some locals following them after all, as I dare say their London-based ‘fans’ could not invent a chant like their brethren in the Bridge or the Library...