Liverpool 2 - Manchester United 1
Scorers
Liverpool: Brown (26 og), Babel (76)
Manchester United: Tevez (3)
Team: Van der Sar, Rio, Vidic, Brown, Evra, Scholes (Hargreaves 66), Anderson (Nani 78), Carrick (Giggs 45), Rooney, Tevez, Berbatov
Awful doesn't even come close to describing our play today. It was absolutely disgusting the way we fell apart under the slightest pressure from Liverpool. We showed no passion and no pride. They players should be ashamed of themselves for even donning the jersey today. Every single one of them should take a good long look at the mirror.
The day started with a bang with new boy Berbatov providing an inch perfect cut back for Tevez to power United into the lead with less than 3 minutes on the game clock. We were controlling the midfield and giving Liverpool fits. For a good 20 or so minutes, we were the better and more confident team on the pitch. We missed a couple of good chances to increase the lead, then it all fell apart as we got too comfortable with the lead.
It didn't help that Edwin Van der Sar decided to flap at a loose ball which was Wes Brown's to clear. It was a moment of ludicrous defending on the part of our keeper and all he could do was to palm the ball onto a surprised Brown. The ball ended in the back of his own net off Brown.
From then on it all crumbled. We lost possession easily, we stopped fighting for the ball and everyone's nerves were on the edge. It allowed Liverpool the room and space to come forward and create chances, although it needs to be said that Liverpool never really looked like scoring.
A second moment of madness allowed Liverpool a come-from-behind victory. This time Giggs tried to be too clever with Mascherano and lost possession in his own penalty area. The loose ball fell to Kuyt who squared it to Babel for Liverpool's second.
What made it so bad was that we didn't react to going behind. Everyone was playing scared and Liverpool could and really should have added a couple more to compound our misery.
In all my life watching United play, this was one of the worst displays I've seen. Tactically we were poor, playing without wings and concentrating too much in the middle. But that was not the reason for our demise, it was our distinct lack of pride and fighting spirit that did us in. We just didn't want to play today. It was downright shameful.
I'd be damn disappointed if Ferguson is not pissed at the way we played today. There'd better be more than a few smashed teapots in the Liverpool locker room.
To add to our woes, Vidic was sent off, meaning we'd be missing him for next week's showdown with Chelsea.
I thought I'd never say this, but we desperately need Ronaldo back. It's as if the team is just trying not to lose games until he returns.
