Slipperduke
The Camden Cad
Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool
(Ronaldo 23) (Torres 28)
(Gerrard 44, pen)
(Aurelio 77th)
(Dossena, 90+1)
Old Trafford has never emptied so quickly. Even before Manchester United were put out of their misery by referee Alan Wiley, there were more empty seats than supporters. Those who remained sat motionless, eyes staring but unseeing, like the shocked survivors of a car crash. No-one could ever have expected this. The heaviest defeat at Old Trafford since 1992. The end of a 16 match unbeaten run in the league. The agonising sting of humiliation at the hands of their bitterest rivals. Forget about Manchester City's historic 5-1 victory of 1989. This could go down as the most embarrassing day of Sir Alex Ferguson's long and illustrious career.
The final ten minutes were like the twelth round of a heavyweight boxing brawl that should have been stopped in the eighth. Manchester United staggered, punch-drunk and senseless, barely even bothering to track back or to mark. Hard as it is to comprehend, with better finishing there could have been even more goals. Liverpool skipped around the ring, jabbing and poking, tenderising their opponents and preparing them for the knock-out punch. That it was Andreas Dossena who delivered it makes it all the harder to understand. United don't give up, they don't capitulate. But they did here.
There can be no excuses. Nemanja Vidic's red card was one of the easiest decisions of Wiley's career and the penalty that led to Liverpool's second goal was just as cast-iron. United controlled the game for the first 20 minutes, pouring forward onto what looked like a static and nervous defence. They took the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo's expertly taken spot-kick and then settled themselves down for a routine win.
But Vidic's failure to deal with a simple ball over the top was punished by Fernando Torres. Then Steven Gerrard roared past Patrice Evra so quickly that the French left-back's challenge was later than a British train. Michael Carrick's distribution went to pieces. Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez slipped out of the game. Ronaldo was limited to long-shots. Even with Liverpool forced back to their own six yard box and with all of the possession, United struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.
Rafa Benitez must have feared the worst before kick-off. Xabi Alonso was injured and then Alvaro Arbeloa was forced to retire from the warm-up. Jamie Carragher shifted over to replace him, but he seemed uncomfortable and unsettled at right-back. Liverpool took a long time to get into their stride and, even then, they never looked like a team who could crush the European champions in their own backyard. Efficiency was the watchword of this extraordinary performance. They used their chances like an assassin uses bullets. Calmly, sparingly and ruthlessly.
It may not make much difference to the title race, but this will be a hammer-blow to United's own sense of invincibility. It has been many years since Ferguson has seen his players in so much trouble that the referee's whistle comes as a blessed relief. The gap has been closed to four points, but that vital game-in-hand should be enough for supremacy to be maintained until the end of the season. United are still the out and out favourites, but the balance of power has shifted slightly. If Liverpool can remember and keep in mind what it took to forge a result like this, the work-rate, the determination, the accuracy, the intent, the attitude, if they can maintain all of that, then who knows what they could achieve next season?
ON FIRE - One of the finest games of the season so far and credit should go to referee Alan Wiley. He got the big decisions right, he allowed the match to flow and he took action where necessary to stop it degenerating into a kicking match. An excellent performance from the officials
STUPIDEST MOVE - Javier Mascherano is supposed to be an experienced international footballer, but he looked like a terrified debutant by the end. With the ball bouncing around in the Liverpool penalty area and the clock ticking down, he slammed it into the crowd for a corner, oblivious of the fact that Pepe Reina had it covered. Breathe, Javier. Breathe.
MISS OF THE DAY - Steven Gerrard could have added another goal in the 85th minute. With United's defence and self-belief disintegrating,. Ryan Babel found himself with the ball on the edge of the six yard box and backheeled it to his oncoming captain, but the shot was ballooned amateurishly into the upper tier. It didn't matter though
PUNTER'S RANT - What a day for the bookies! In these troubled economic times, I can't believe that anyone, anyone at all, would have actually put real money on a 4-1 Liverpool victory. The surprise result of the season must have given them one of their most profitable days.
MAN OF THE MATCH - You can keep Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o. You can forget about Ruud van Nistelrooy and Thierry Henry. Fernando Torres is the finest all-round striker on the planet. Even with an nagging injury, he caused Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand more problems than any other attacker has all season.
MATCH STATS
Crowd - 75,569
Yellow Cards - Ferdinand, Van der Sar (Manchester United) Carragher, Mascherano, Skrtel (Liverpool)
Red Cards - Vidic (Manchester United)
Manchester United -
Edwin van der Sar (Rating, 6), John O'Shea 6, Patrice Evra 6, Nemanja Vidic 4, Rio Ferdinand 6, Michael Carrick 5 (Dimitar Berbatov 6, 73rd), Anderson 6 (Paul Scholes 6, 73rd), Cristiano Ronaldo 6, Ji-Sung Park 6 (Ryan Giggs 6, 73rd), Wayne Rooney 7, Carlos Tevez 6
Liverpool -
Pepe Reina 6, Jamie Carragher 6, Fabio Aurelio 7, Sami Hyypia 7, Martin Skrtel 7, Javier Mascherano 7, Lucas 7, Dirk Kuyt 7, Albert Reira 7 (Andreas Dossena 7, 68th), Steven Gerrard 8 (Nabil El Zhar 6, 90th), Fernando Torres 9 (Ryan Babel 7, 81st)
(Ronaldo 23) (Torres 28)
(Gerrard 44, pen)
(Aurelio 77th)
(Dossena, 90+1)
Old Trafford has never emptied so quickly. Even before Manchester United were put out of their misery by referee Alan Wiley, there were more empty seats than supporters. Those who remained sat motionless, eyes staring but unseeing, like the shocked survivors of a car crash. No-one could ever have expected this. The heaviest defeat at Old Trafford since 1992. The end of a 16 match unbeaten run in the league. The agonising sting of humiliation at the hands of their bitterest rivals. Forget about Manchester City's historic 5-1 victory of 1989. This could go down as the most embarrassing day of Sir Alex Ferguson's long and illustrious career.
The final ten minutes were like the twelth round of a heavyweight boxing brawl that should have been stopped in the eighth. Manchester United staggered, punch-drunk and senseless, barely even bothering to track back or to mark. Hard as it is to comprehend, with better finishing there could have been even more goals. Liverpool skipped around the ring, jabbing and poking, tenderising their opponents and preparing them for the knock-out punch. That it was Andreas Dossena who delivered it makes it all the harder to understand. United don't give up, they don't capitulate. But they did here.
There can be no excuses. Nemanja Vidic's red card was one of the easiest decisions of Wiley's career and the penalty that led to Liverpool's second goal was just as cast-iron. United controlled the game for the first 20 minutes, pouring forward onto what looked like a static and nervous defence. They took the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo's expertly taken spot-kick and then settled themselves down for a routine win.
But Vidic's failure to deal with a simple ball over the top was punished by Fernando Torres. Then Steven Gerrard roared past Patrice Evra so quickly that the French left-back's challenge was later than a British train. Michael Carrick's distribution went to pieces. Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez slipped out of the game. Ronaldo was limited to long-shots. Even with Liverpool forced back to their own six yard box and with all of the possession, United struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.
Rafa Benitez must have feared the worst before kick-off. Xabi Alonso was injured and then Alvaro Arbeloa was forced to retire from the warm-up. Jamie Carragher shifted over to replace him, but he seemed uncomfortable and unsettled at right-back. Liverpool took a long time to get into their stride and, even then, they never looked like a team who could crush the European champions in their own backyard. Efficiency was the watchword of this extraordinary performance. They used their chances like an assassin uses bullets. Calmly, sparingly and ruthlessly.
It may not make much difference to the title race, but this will be a hammer-blow to United's own sense of invincibility. It has been many years since Ferguson has seen his players in so much trouble that the referee's whistle comes as a blessed relief. The gap has been closed to four points, but that vital game-in-hand should be enough for supremacy to be maintained until the end of the season. United are still the out and out favourites, but the balance of power has shifted slightly. If Liverpool can remember and keep in mind what it took to forge a result like this, the work-rate, the determination, the accuracy, the intent, the attitude, if they can maintain all of that, then who knows what they could achieve next season?
ON FIRE - One of the finest games of the season so far and credit should go to referee Alan Wiley. He got the big decisions right, he allowed the match to flow and he took action where necessary to stop it degenerating into a kicking match. An excellent performance from the officials
STUPIDEST MOVE - Javier Mascherano is supposed to be an experienced international footballer, but he looked like a terrified debutant by the end. With the ball bouncing around in the Liverpool penalty area and the clock ticking down, he slammed it into the crowd for a corner, oblivious of the fact that Pepe Reina had it covered. Breathe, Javier. Breathe.
MISS OF THE DAY - Steven Gerrard could have added another goal in the 85th minute. With United's defence and self-belief disintegrating,. Ryan Babel found himself with the ball on the edge of the six yard box and backheeled it to his oncoming captain, but the shot was ballooned amateurishly into the upper tier. It didn't matter though
PUNTER'S RANT - What a day for the bookies! In these troubled economic times, I can't believe that anyone, anyone at all, would have actually put real money on a 4-1 Liverpool victory. The surprise result of the season must have given them one of their most profitable days.
MAN OF THE MATCH - You can keep Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o. You can forget about Ruud van Nistelrooy and Thierry Henry. Fernando Torres is the finest all-round striker on the planet. Even with an nagging injury, he caused Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand more problems than any other attacker has all season.
MATCH STATS
Crowd - 75,569
Yellow Cards - Ferdinand, Van der Sar (Manchester United) Carragher, Mascherano, Skrtel (Liverpool)
Red Cards - Vidic (Manchester United)
Manchester United -
Edwin van der Sar (Rating, 6), John O'Shea 6, Patrice Evra 6, Nemanja Vidic 4, Rio Ferdinand 6, Michael Carrick 5 (Dimitar Berbatov 6, 73rd), Anderson 6 (Paul Scholes 6, 73rd), Cristiano Ronaldo 6, Ji-Sung Park 6 (Ryan Giggs 6, 73rd), Wayne Rooney 7, Carlos Tevez 6
Liverpool -
Pepe Reina 6, Jamie Carragher 6, Fabio Aurelio 7, Sami Hyypia 7, Martin Skrtel 7, Javier Mascherano 7, Lucas 7, Dirk Kuyt 7, Albert Reira 7 (Andreas Dossena 7, 68th), Steven Gerrard 8 (Nabil El Zhar 6, 90th), Fernando Torres 9 (Ryan Babel 7, 81st)
