EPL: Five Things Kenny Dalglish Must Do for Liverpool To Beat Manchester United
In 1993, Sir Alex Ferguson guided Manchester United to his first Premier League trophy and the club's first since 1967. It was United's seventh League title, and Liverpool fans said, "Yea, yea, come back when you've got 18."
Well...Here were are 18 years later, and Manchester United has those 18 titles. The problem is, so does Liverpool.
Manchester United come to Anfield on Sunday for the second League and third overall meeting between the two clubs this season. United won the first two, both at Old Trafford.
When Ferguson took the job in Manchester, he said his aim was to "knock Liverpool off their (expletive) perch."
He's done a decent job. As Manchester United manager for the last 25 years, he's won 35 trophies. In the same time, under eight (Kenny Dalglish twice) different managers, Liverpool has won 18 trophies.
In total, the Reds have 59 trophies spanning their illustrious history, while the Red Devils have 58. This is all setting up so nicely, huh?
But the most important thing of all are those 18 League title apiece. Manchester United reaching that oh-so-elusive 19th title first would be an absolute dagger in the hearts of Liverpool fans.
Sir Alex and his men hit a slight snag on the way to the title in the loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge Tuesday and have a tough run-in to win that record-breaking crown, but they are still heavy favorites.
Here are the five things King Kenny must do to give the Red Devils an even bigger stumbling block on their road to history.
Use the 12th Man
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Anfield is one of the most famous sports grounds in the world for one reason, and it's a darn good one. The crowd truly is Liverpool's 12th man, and everyone knows it.
Really, this is the easiest thing on Kenny Dalglish's to-do list.
The Kop is always raucous, and the rest of the stadium tends to follow suit so long as they have something nice to look at. Given Dalglish's tactics and attacking formations in the last two months or so, the fans should be in for an exciting game.
When Manchester United came to Anfield last season, they were riding high and the Reds had just lost four in a row for the first time in a couple decades. But it was Liverpool who went home with a 2-0 victory, and Sir Alex Ferguson admitted after game (he actually talked to reporters after a loss!) his team did not handle the atmosphere appropriately, citing the over-amped crowd for willing its team to victory.
The Liverpool fans are a powerful, vastly underestimated weapon, and King Kenny is a smart man who understands them. Get ready for a noisy 90 minutes.
Let Suarez Run Loco
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In just a handful of games, Luis Suarez is already flying, so Kenny Dalglish should just keep letting him go.
Suarez scored a goal in his first match for the Reds and has been unfortunate not to add at least a couple more to his tally. His turns have been amazing, his touch always spot on, but his finish has been literally just a hair off.
In short, he's been pretty darn incredible.
He's got great pace, which will surely come in handy on Sunday seeing as United could be missing Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans to injury and now Nemanja Vidic to suspension after being sent off against Chelsea Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is still as capable as ever, but with a questionable back line in front of him, Dalglish should just send Suarez flying and reap the rewards. Left back Patrice Evra also hobbled off against Chelsea, and we'll see if he makes the trip to Anfield.
This guy is due for a goal or two.
Note: Other January signing Andy Carroll is training but will likely not start against United, but he could possibly feature. Will Sunday be the first glimpse of Liverpool's new strike force, even if for just a few minutes?
Always Keep an Eye on Wayne Rooney/Dimitar Berbatov/Nani...
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Dimitar Berbatov scored a hat trick against Liverpool in the reverse fixture in September in part because of his skill but also in part because Liverpool's players completely ignored him at times.
United won 3-2 at Old Trafford without creating many chances. Berbatov found himself unguarded on two occasions and scored easily, while the other goal cam from a little stroke of genius (way better than Wayne Rooney's goal in the Manchester Derby, just sayin').
So for this game, how about Liverpool players just keep their eyes open the entire game and especially on players like Berbatov whenever he gets on the pitch, Rooney, who can produce a bit of magic anytime, and Nani and Chicharito have been scoring and creating for United all season long.
Now, these are all very talented footballers, so keeping an eye on them certainly won't do the trick, but it can't hurt. Many of the goals Liverpool has conceded this season have come from lapses in concentration on the defensive end.
If the defense can stay focused, they'll be a lot tougher to break down and will control their opponents much more than they have many times this season.
The way the defense plays depends in large part on the formation, and on that note...
Hope for Good News on the Injury Front
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Kenny Dalglish suffered a blow when he learned 20-year-old Martin Kelly will be out for about four weeks. Center back Daniel Agger is also recovering from a slight problem, as are left back Fabio Aurelio and midfielder Raul Meireles.
The good news is the last three should all be able to start on Sunday. That being said, Dalglish should be able to employ a three-man back line consisting of Agger, Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel with Glen Johnson on the right and Aurelio on the left.
If Agger cannot start, King Kenny has Sotirios Kyrgiakos as his third center back. Dalglish can also encourage Johnson and Aurelio to push forward and help the attack whenever Liverpool has the ball, and that will keep someone like Nani back.
Liverpool will need to at least control the midfield some of the time, so they are not subjected to a barrage of shots from United, and it says a lot that Luca Leiva's best performances holding down the midfield in Red have been at Stamford Bridge last month and at Old Trafford in March 2009, when the Reds ran away 4-1 victors. He plays big when it counts.
Steven Gerrard can dictate Liverpool's play from just in front of Lucas and partner Raul Meireles in feeding balls to Luis Suarez and Dirk Kuyt. Kuyt can also venture out wide to give the Reds a bit of width.
Joe Cole has no claim to a first team spot at Liverpool, and he can't complain he hasn't been given the chance. Same goes for Maxi Rodriguez.
But if Dalglish would like to try something a bit different...
Give Little Dani Pacheco a Chance!
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Dani Pacheco has been on the bench or in the stands a bit too often this season for many Liverpool fans' liking because the kid is good! He's got great pace, an eye for goal and works well with his teammates.
Really, he'd partner a guy like Luis Suarez perfectly. Both are always in the danger area and are great at seeing the right pass and the best opportunity for a goal.
Pacheco has made just one Premier League appearance for the Reds, a late substitute appearance in the 3-0 loss at Manchester City earlier this season, but he is ripe for a run in the side. A first start against Manchester United with so much riding on the game may seem like too much for a kid who just turned 20, but the fans love him so much, and he'll receive plenty of support to make him feel at ease.
Dalglish could decide that since United's defense will seemingly be weaker than normal, he does not need three central defenders and put an attacker in one of their places. Or he could sacrifice Dirk Kuyt's striking role or Lucas Leiva's holding midfield role.
Personally I'd just replace Kuyt with Pacheco. The guy works tirelessly, but his touch has been slightly off of late. A rest might do Kuyt good, and Pacheco showed in last summer's European Under-19's Championship that he can handle the spotlight and the pressure.
So the five things King Kenny must do to beat Manchester United and hopefully derail the Red Devils in winning a record-breaking 19th Premier League title seem rather easy and straightforward. The question is, what will happen once the whistle blows?
The one thing both Dalglish and Sir Alex Ferguson can count on is that previous results go out the window on Sunday. Liverpool vs. Manchester United is a game completely separate from everything else, no matter what the standings. Everything is riding on this game for both teams each and every year.
Oh, and one more thing Kenny must do. Pray Howard Webb isn't the official.
