The best thing that everyone at Liverpool could do over the next few weeks is to forget all about Manchester United.
It might be easier said than done given the rivalry between the two clubs and the fact that they are fighting it out at the top of the Premier League, but that is the message Rafa Benitez should be giving his players.
All Liverpool can do is worry about their own results. They won't have any say in how United get on until the two teams meet at Old Trafford on March 14, so there is no point in getting distracted by what they are doing.
In recent weeks United have built up a real head of steam and although it hurts us to say it they are top of the table on merit.
Liverpool's job now is to concentrate on their own form and nothing else and if they do that they will give themselves a chance of still being in with a shout towards the end of the season.
They have three games coming up against Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Sunderland and, make no mistake about it, each one of them is a must win.
It is absolutely imperative that Liverpool go into that clash at Old Trafford having picked up a maximum nine points from these fixtures, because if they fail to do so it will become increasingly difficult to see how they can overtake United.
At the moment it is hard to see United faltering, but the history of football is littered with examples of favourites coming unstuck when absolutely no-one expected them to.
In my own playing career it happened when I was part of the Liverpool team that lost to Wimbledon in the FA Cup final.
Anything can and often does happen in sport. That's why Liverpool must look to keep putting pressure on United. If they do that then they might just set a few nerves jangling at the other end of the East Lancs.
All you can ever do is win your own games and if your rivals slip up that's even better. You just have to do your own job and forget about everything else.
Will City play as Dr Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? Manchester City are Liverpool’s opponents at Anfield tonight but heaven knows which City team will actually turn up.
Will it be the one which demolished Portsmouth 6-0 at home in a wonderful displays of attacking football earlier this season?
Or will it be the one which was comfortably beaten by Portsmouth at Fratton Park last weekend?
City are so inconsistent at the moment it is untrue so all Liverpool followers will be hoping they don’t turn it on because if you look at their side they have clearly got quite a few players who can cause problems to any team.
Craig Bellamy is one obvious danger and seeing as he was let go by Liverpool after just a short spell at Anfield I’m sure he will feel he has something to prove to Rafa Benitez.
Robinho is a class act and can wreak havoc against any team in the world if he is in the mood but the problem for City has been that he doesn’t seem to have been in the mood often enough since he joined them.
But being a player who is used to operating on the big stage from his time with Real Madrid and his international experience with Brazil it could be that Anfield will bring out the best in him.
I’m not expecting it to be easy for Liverpool but the fact is they simply must find a way to win because it is vital that they take all three points.
It might be easier said than done given the rivalry between the two clubs and the fact that they are fighting it out at the top of the Premier League, but that is the message Rafa Benitez should be giving his players.
All Liverpool can do is worry about their own results. They won't have any say in how United get on until the two teams meet at Old Trafford on March 14, so there is no point in getting distracted by what they are doing.
In recent weeks United have built up a real head of steam and although it hurts us to say it they are top of the table on merit.
Liverpool's job now is to concentrate on their own form and nothing else and if they do that they will give themselves a chance of still being in with a shout towards the end of the season.
They have three games coming up against Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Sunderland and, make no mistake about it, each one of them is a must win.
It is absolutely imperative that Liverpool go into that clash at Old Trafford having picked up a maximum nine points from these fixtures, because if they fail to do so it will become increasingly difficult to see how they can overtake United.
At the moment it is hard to see United faltering, but the history of football is littered with examples of favourites coming unstuck when absolutely no-one expected them to.
In my own playing career it happened when I was part of the Liverpool team that lost to Wimbledon in the FA Cup final.
Anything can and often does happen in sport. That's why Liverpool must look to keep putting pressure on United. If they do that then they might just set a few nerves jangling at the other end of the East Lancs.
All you can ever do is win your own games and if your rivals slip up that's even better. You just have to do your own job and forget about everything else.
Will City play as Dr Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? Manchester City are Liverpool’s opponents at Anfield tonight but heaven knows which City team will actually turn up.
Will it be the one which demolished Portsmouth 6-0 at home in a wonderful displays of attacking football earlier this season?
Or will it be the one which was comfortably beaten by Portsmouth at Fratton Park last weekend?
City are so inconsistent at the moment it is untrue so all Liverpool followers will be hoping they don’t turn it on because if you look at their side they have clearly got quite a few players who can cause problems to any team.
Craig Bellamy is one obvious danger and seeing as he was let go by Liverpool after just a short spell at Anfield I’m sure he will feel he has something to prove to Rafa Benitez.
Robinho is a class act and can wreak havoc against any team in the world if he is in the mood but the problem for City has been that he doesn’t seem to have been in the mood often enough since he joined them.
But being a player who is used to operating on the big stage from his time with Real Madrid and his international experience with Brazil it could be that Anfield will bring out the best in him.
I’m not expecting it to be easy for Liverpool but the fact is they simply must find a way to win because it is vital that they take all three points.
No comments:
Post a Comment