FA CUP
Emotions and tensions tend to light up when Manchester United and Liverpool face each other in the FA Cup third round on Sunday January 9th. Easy to tie round, pitting these arch-rivals against each other in North-West derby, this fixture is similar to one that is not to be missed. The Red Devils are high on confidence, flying high in the Premier League, 2 points ahead of nearest challengers Manchester City with two games in hand, and now the company's favorite to land the Premier League title for the nineteenth time record. Liverpool on the other hand, going through a terrible time, after losing their nine league games this season against Blackburn Rovers in midweek. Changes in ownership, a manager in Roy Hodgson last, and unrest among the fans has been on display all season, and hand shaking saw the shadow of the team that pushed Manchester United all the way in the Premier League two seasons ago. bragging rights at stake when these two teams will face-off in the early kick-off next Sunday. The two teams face each other in the FA Cup final in 2005-06 season, when Liverpool won with a single goal scored by then-Liverpool striker, Peter Crouch.
Manchester United:
How quickly things change. Rewind to November, when United looked very shaky, and conspicuous to give easy points by not defending their lead. Experts and paper together was writing of the possibility of a degree, with the Chelsea team will walk through and looked like taking their second title streak. Forward two months, and America seems pretty sitting on top of the Premier League, took the win even when not playing their best, and Chelsea are not visible, lying in fifth. The Red Devils running high on confidence, because it does not lose in any competition all season, limiting the Carling Cup defeat to West Ham United, and with a home fixture against a team in a terrible run of form, they will be fancying their chance to move forward in the competition.
Striker Wayne Rooney racing against time to be fit for the fixture against the club he was born to hate. His strike partner, Dimitar Berbatov bags a hat-trick against Liverpool in their league meeting in September, and will be looking to heap further misery on the Reds on Sunday. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has promised to take a strong line-up for the game after the second string team that lost to Leeds last season in the same stage with the FA Cup. This is the trophy United have not won since 2004, and will seek to move forward in the competition with a win against rivals Liverpool.
Liverpool:
Anfield club have been in freefall all season, showed any consistency, leaving the club in 12th place in the Premier League pathetic. This has been partly due to the fact that they have won only once away from home all season. They also have found it difficult to find the back of the net lately, with striker Fernando Torres is not in the best form since returning from injury.
Coach Roy Hodgson has been in the firing line all season, came from when the club signed him on as manager at the beginning of the year. Coming from Fulham, many doubted his ability as a manager of a top club, and he has been under constant pressure to face the ax after the first half of sub-standard season. Except for improving the results immediately, Hodgson looks to be the favorite to become the next Premier League manager to lose his job.
A win against Manchester United, and progress in the Cup will certainly help to calm some nerves at the Merseyside club, while the loss just might mean the end of the short tenure as manager of Liverpool Hodgson. Liverpool will look to captain Steven Gerrard, who scored twice in United's league loss for the club earlier this season, for some much needed inspiration.
Head To Head:
September 19 '10 - Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool
March 21 '10 - Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
Form Guide:
Manchester United 2-1 Stoke City
West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Manchester United
Birmingham City 1-1 Manchester United
Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland
Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal
Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
Liverpool 0-1 Wolves
Newcastle United 3-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 3-0 Aston Villa
Line-Ups MU
Manchester United (4-4-2) - Van der Sar, Vidic, Ferdinand, Rafael, Evra, Anderson, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani, Rooney, Berbatov
Edwin Van der Sar and Rio Ferdinand is set to return to the squad States for the fixture after Matchday left out of the squad last time around. It is left to see if Nani will play two times a week after returning from injury, and Anderson may be shifted to the left or played in midfield three persons with veteran winger Ryan Giggs may not start well, after playing for 90 minutes against Stoke on Tuesday. It may work for the benefit of United despite that they have got a few extra days off compared with most clubs, and they do not play again until next Sunday, could still go with the first choice line-up.
Liverpool (4-5-1) - Reina, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Johnson, Lucas, Gerrard, Rodriguez, Kuyt, Cole, Torres
Raul Meireles has joined Jamie Carragher on the treatment table, and certainly will miss this match. Joe Cole may be given another chance to stake his claim for regular place in the team, with Maxi Rodriguez planned to be used as a more central midfield. Spain's Fernando Torres is almost certain to start his own upfront for Liverpool, with the teams tend to try and contain Manchester United.
Manchester United:
How quickly things change. Rewind to November, when United looked very shaky, and conspicuous to give easy points by not defending their lead. Experts and paper together was writing of the possibility of a degree, with the Chelsea team will walk through and looked like taking their second title streak. Forward two months, and America seems pretty sitting on top of the Premier League, took the win even when not playing their best, and Chelsea are not visible, lying in fifth. The Red Devils running high on confidence, because it does not lose in any competition all season, limiting the Carling Cup defeat to West Ham United, and with a home fixture against a team in a terrible run of form, they will be fancying their chance to move forward in the competition.
Striker Wayne Rooney racing against time to be fit for the fixture against the club he was born to hate. His strike partner, Dimitar Berbatov bags a hat-trick against Liverpool in their league meeting in September, and will be looking to heap further misery on the Reds on Sunday. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has promised to take a strong line-up for the game after the second string team that lost to Leeds last season in the same stage with the FA Cup. This is the trophy United have not won since 2004, and will seek to move forward in the competition with a win against rivals Liverpool.
Liverpool:
Anfield club have been in freefall all season, showed any consistency, leaving the club in 12th place in the Premier League pathetic. This has been partly due to the fact that they have won only once away from home all season. They also have found it difficult to find the back of the net lately, with striker Fernando Torres is not in the best form since returning from injury.
Coach Roy Hodgson has been in the firing line all season, came from when the club signed him on as manager at the beginning of the year. Coming from Fulham, many doubted his ability as a manager of a top club, and he has been under constant pressure to face the ax after the first half of sub-standard season. Except for improving the results immediately, Hodgson looks to be the favorite to become the next Premier League manager to lose his job.
A win against Manchester United, and progress in the Cup will certainly help to calm some nerves at the Merseyside club, while the loss just might mean the end of the short tenure as manager of Liverpool Hodgson. Liverpool will look to captain Steven Gerrard, who scored twice in United's league loss for the club earlier this season, for some much needed inspiration.
Head To Head:
September 19 '10 - Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool
March 21 '10 - Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
Form Guide:
Manchester United 2-1 Stoke City
West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Manchester United
Birmingham City 1-1 Manchester United
Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland
Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal
Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
Liverpool 0-1 Wolves
Newcastle United 3-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 3-0 Aston Villa
Line-Ups MU
Manchester United (4-4-2) - Van der Sar, Vidic, Ferdinand, Rafael, Evra, Anderson, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani, Rooney, Berbatov
Edwin Van der Sar and Rio Ferdinand is set to return to the squad States for the fixture after Matchday left out of the squad last time around. It is left to see if Nani will play two times a week after returning from injury, and Anderson may be shifted to the left or played in midfield three persons with veteran winger Ryan Giggs may not start well, after playing for 90 minutes against Stoke on Tuesday. It may work for the benefit of United despite that they have got a few extra days off compared with most clubs, and they do not play again until next Sunday, could still go with the first choice line-up.
Liverpool (4-5-1) - Reina, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Johnson, Lucas, Gerrard, Rodriguez, Kuyt, Cole, Torres
Raul Meireles has joined Jamie Carragher on the treatment table, and certainly will miss this match. Joe Cole may be given another chance to stake his claim for regular place in the team, with Maxi Rodriguez planned to be used as a more central midfield. Spain's Fernando Torres is almost certain to start his own upfront for Liverpool, with the teams tend to try and contain Manchester United.