Liverpool vs. Manchester United: LeBron James Won't Inspire Reds Victory

LeBron James is a minority owner of Liverpool and will be in attendance when the Reds take on Manchester United, but unless the NBA icon takes the pitch and marks Wayne Rooney, Liverpool isn't going to come away with a victory.

Having an athlete of his caliber in attendance has become a storyline in what is going to be a mammoth English Premier League matchup. Unfortunately for Liverpool, his presence as a spectator is going to have a much bigger impact in the media than on the scoreboard.

Manchester United is on an absolute tear. They're clearly the best team in the EPL to this point and even with Rooney falling victim to a hamstring injury, they managed to remain atop the standings.

Liverpool is on the rise as well. They've taken two losses and don't have nearly the goal differential Manchester United puts forth, but they are certainly playing better than they were back in mid-September, when they suffered back to back losses, including a 0-4 shellacking to Tottenham.

The return of Steven Gerrard has given the Reds new life. His leadership and dominant play have the team believing again. Not only has the midfield seen a huge lift, the entire team has come to life.

It's going to be a great first match for LeBron to attend, but it's not one in which Liverpool is going to see a winning result. With the best striker in the EPL and a stacked team, the Red Devils are overflowing with talent.

It's impossible to completely discount Liverpool, as Luis Suarez can get hot and knock in a number of goals in a hurry. Even so, Manchester United is so loaded that Dimitar Berbatov is struggling to find his place in the lineup.

Though James is generating a lot of buzz, he's not going to be able to generate any goals. Liverpool is going to struggle to keep up with the ridiculous pace Manchester United sets and the Reds should be happy if they can steal a draw here.