The Pundit: Liverpool 2, Manchester United 0

Ferguson: out-matched for once by the Spaniard

The Pundit, having been thoroughly disheartened in recent weeks, makes a hopefully triumphant return.

It’s rather uncharacteristic of a Manchester United side under Ferguson to display little in the way of menace or bite, and yet they did just that at Anfield yesterday, prompting one of their more nebbish and intelligent supporters to dabble in a spot of hyperbole; moaned The Guardian’s Rob Smyth: In context – with Liverpool in disarray and with a chance, maybe, to hound Rafael Benítez out of a job – this was the most spineless, lily-livered and unforgiveable performance of Ferguson’s 23 years at the club.

But hey, this isn’t United’s pity-party. We’re more interested in what Liverpool did to slay their most hated rival (sorry, Everton).

1. Kudos to Lucas Leiva.
I should probably dust off this bulletpoint and preserve it in amber for all-time, for it might not get too many uses again. However, all obvious criticism and deserved booing aside, this most un-Brazilian of Brazilians must be credited for a wonderful, high-profile performance when his club needed it most.

Maybe he suffers from the constant comparison to that Spaniard he replaced in the starting XI, or maybe he’s just not of the caliber to patrol an EPL midfield week-after-week, but his effort against United was perfect yesterday. Under pressure is Liverpool’s almost-pathologically preferred start point, and Lucas thrived. Just one errant pass sprayed across the Anfield grass in a showing akin to Alonso’s best; with Mascherano, the central midfield was well and truly Liverpool’s all afternoon long.

Lucas provided some much-needed control and tempo when it was needed most

With the Argie doing that violent thing he does, Lucas nipped at ankles for 90 minutes and preserved possession, created the odd scoring chance and made several breaks for goal that show he can, when bothered, produce what Rafa and his staff have willed of him since signing him in 2007. It also demonstrated that he could end up being valuable depth on a club much-maligned for its rather lackluster subs bench.

One thing we could all do is lower our expectations; to draw a parallel to Manchester United, Lucas could easily be our Darren Fletcher, a player reknowned for dirty work under the radar.

2. Finally, some width!
As is often the case, Rafa often makes his best tactical decisions when hamstrung by external forces like injuries and suspensions. Much like his team, it appears he produces his best work with back firmly pressed up against wall, and the United game was no different.

Doubling up the fast-improving Emiliano Insua at left-back with another left-back Fabio Aurelio (masquerading as a winger), he hit upon a pairing that would have no trouble in staying wide all afternoon long and presenting United with difficulty in moving forward. Remember those issues with Babel or Riera constantly cutting inside and self-destructing the attack before it could develop? Not so with the left-back duo.

Not only did the more experienced Aurelio give protection to Insua on defense, but his dynamism in possession forced United’s midfield to thin out in paying respect to the wide threat. On the other side, Benayoun displayed a similar restraint in keeping pushed out wide, though his motives were entirely different.

3. Removing United’s width was essential too.
Fergie’s decision not to start Nani was a puzzling one, especially when you saw the marked contrast of their attacking capabilities both before and after his substitution. Before we get there, the lineup didn’t show much legitimate menace down the flanks, and Liverpool were able to easily establish control of wide areas with as much brute force as they won the central midfield.

The first half-hour showed a clear gameplan: run at Evra as much as possible. The normally spring-heeled left-back, so deadly moving up the line and joining the attack, was held in check all afternoon as Torres, Kuyt and Benayoun seemingly took turns in drifting wide and taking on the Frenchman on his weaker inside foot every single time they had possession. Not only was Evra booked early, but he was exposed as a liability.

When you consider that Vidic and Ferdinand looked equally unstable, this created more extra work for Carrick, Scholes and Giggs, players who aren’t as spry or indefatigable as they once were, in helping out their back 4. O’Shea was similarly ponderous down the right, and Liverpool, with help from Sir Alex himself, had made their job that much easier.

When you add it all up, the territory battle was won by the home side. The United midfield spent so much time pressing back that Berbatov, Valencia and Rooney — the only three on that starting lineup worth much moving forward — were marooned inside Liverpool’s half with little possession and little hope of rattling Reina’s cage. Any time United did secure possession and look to break, a less-exhausted Liverpool were able to regroup and defend in twos and threes to snuff out virtually all danger around their own penalty area.

Nani’s introduction changed things somewhat late on as Glen Johnson, long known as being weaker on defense than most right-backs, suddenly had work to do, but it was too little, too late.

Liverpool's workrate presented possession problems for United, constantly cutting out passing lanes and winning back possession

4. Constant pressure.
Perhaps a by-product of Point #3, Liverpool were much more dogged in pursuit of possession all afternoon long. As the limp second-half turned in by Arsenal would further illustrate, a lack of creativity can often be overcome by good, old-fashioned hard work, and the efforts of Benayoun, Kuyt (in a more classic 2nd striker role, and about time too!), Aurelio, Lucas, Mascherano and, most pleasing of all, a clearly fired-up Jamie Carragher, gave maximum effort from first to last and never allowed United to settle in possession.

Ferguson’s choice of Carrick and Scholes in central midfield was over-cautious, considering the final result; neither player has the agility or stamina to chase the game, and they were continually run off the ball and forced into making short passes instead of the incisive distribution both players are capable of.

It was a theme repeating itself all over the park; Valencia was given little room to get behind Insua or threaten much on the cross, and both Rooney and Berbatov were harassed time and again when the ball was played to feet.

Conversely, a half-fit Torres wasn’t negated as aggressively as I’d expected, and he gave the United center-backs a torrid time in his 80 minutes of play. The manner in which he hustled through Ferdinand’s arm-bar and kept his inside line to goal summed up an afternoon in which Liverpool not only out-matched their rivals tactically and emotionally, but physically as well.

Truly one for the ages, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.