Liverpool can beat United!

Wednesday, 15/09/2010

This weekend we’ll see the game that Sir Alex Ferguson looks forward to most each season, and I don’t think he’s alone in that.

Liverpool’s visit to Old Trafford on Sunday is an intriguing one and, as ever, difficult to call.

United will obviously be strong favourites at home, especially with Liverpool’s difficult start to the season – having picked up just five points so far.

Liverpool are a team already under pressure, because their focus is the Premier League and moving on under Roy Hodgson. I think he could’ve hoped for a better start, but the return of Joe Cole will be a boost against United, allowing Steven Gerrard to move back into the centre of midfield and drive the side forward, which is his preferred position.

Fernando Torres has come in for some criticism and there’s the ongoing ownership saga, so all’s not well at Anfield. Going away to United, you do not expect to pick up three points, but they expect a result

Hodgson hasn’t won away, for either Fulham or Liverpool, for about 13 months; Liverpool have won only one in 11 away from home and Hodgson has a reputation for being defensive on the road.

Coming off second best to Birmingham was not great and that has summed up the side’s stuttering start.

If they can get a result against Manchester United, that would really kick-start their season.

United, meanwhile, suffered something of an aberration against Rangers on Tuesday. Any player will tell you, when a team comes and sets their stall out like Rangers did – I’ve experienced the same thing at Anfield on many occasions – it’s very difficult.

That said, you expect United to field a stronger team this weekend, they’ll be able to reunite Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic and you’ve got players like Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov really on song.

Clearly Wayne Rooney wasn’t great in midweek, but he played exceptionally for England last week. Like Torres, he is struggling a bit, but they are two world class players who you can never write off.

I wish Antonio Valencia, by the way, all the best – no professional likes to see an injury like that.

I’m going to let my heart rule my head and go for a narrow Liverpool win, though I won’t be putting money on it! 

 

* John Scales is very proud of the ambassadorial work he has done for Danone UK over the last five years. Next month will see the Danone Nations Cup, the Under 12 World Cup, in South Africa. Two schools – Archbishop Beck and Whitgift – will represent England against forty other countries from October 1. John, and everybody at Shoot, wishes each school all the best!

• 

• Have your say