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LoginEPL : Manchester United v Liverpool - Mar 23
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EPL: Manchester United v Liverpool
23 March 2008, Sunday
9.30pm - (LIVE!) - Channel 27, Football Channel.Manchester United :
Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Foster, O'Shea, Evra, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Hargreaves, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Scholes, Anderson, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Eagles, Rooney, Saha, Simpson, Tevez, Neville.
Liverpool :
Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Aurelio, Benayoun, Pennant, Alonso, Gerrard, Mascherano, Riise, Torres, Kuyt, Itandje, Crouch, Kewell, Babel, Arbeloa, Finnan.
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XABI ALONSO is relishing the chance to halt Manchester United’s title march — thanks to red-hot hitman Fernando Torres. Liverpool travel to Old Trafford on Sunday as the Premier League’s form team.
Since their FA Cup shaming by Barnsley, Rafa Benitez’s men have rattled up seven straight wins, with Torres blasting nine goals in the last six matches. Alonso suffered in his Real Sociedad days at the hands of Torres, who carried Atletico Madrid for six years. Yet Alonso believes Torres, 24 tomorrow, is now even better.
He insisted: “Fernando has definitely improved. He has got rid of the pressure he had at Atletico. “He is feeling really comfortable playing at Liverpool and, because of this, is getting better and better each day. “Fernando has settled in very quickly and has shown he is not afraid of the physical contact here.”
Alonso, who formed an impressive holding midfield partnership with Javier Mascherano in last Saturday’s win over Reading, is itching to take on United’s engine-room. He added: “I enjoy working with Javier. The partnership is going really well.”
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Rio a doubt for Liverpool
Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that his reshuffled defence against Bolton was a pre-emptive experiment in case Rio Ferdinand misses Sunday's clash with Liverpool.
The England defender continues to carry a slight back injury and, with the Merseysiders' visit to Old Trafford looming large, Sir Alex opted to rest Patrice Evra and Wes Brown, fielding a defence of Owen Hargreaves, Nemanja Vidic, Gerard Pique and John O'Shea against Gary Megson's side.
"We made a lot of changes and I think that was necessary because, with Rio Ferdinand doubtful for Sunday, we had to find out about young Gerard Pique," Sir Alex told MUTV after the 2-0 win.
"We’ve got great confidence in the lad and he’s come through very well. That was important. We also wanted to rest Wes Brown in case Rio doesn’t make it, then we’ve got the alternative of playing Wes at centre-back – that’s a decision we’ll have to make.
"We tried Owen Hargreaves at right-back, and we can play John O’Shea there on Sunday and bring Patrice Evra in. It’s important to do these things tonight, simply because of Rio’s injury."
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Foster/Kus
Brown Vidic PK Evera
Giggs JOS Hargo Ronaldo
Tevez Rooney
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Bench: Anderson,Scholes, Carrick,Park so on so forth.
Say if they need more attacking power, they can take off Brown and say PK and JOS and Hargo will take their position. Then Anderson or some attacking midfeild can come in. (:
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Liverpool's manager accuses Ferguson of trying to influence referee
Rafael Benítez has dismissed Sir Alex Ferguson's latest condemnation of the treatment afforded Cristiano Ronaldo as a blatant attempt to influence the match officials involved in Liverpool's visit to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Ronaldo's suffering at the hands, shoulders and feet of his opponents has become a cause célèbre for the Manchester United manager, a debate Ferguson intensified following the FA Cup exit against Portsmouth and continued in his programme notes for Wednesday's fixture with Bolton. "When Ronaldo is running at full speed sometimes it doesn't take much to knock him over," he wrote. "But the truth is that too many opponents don't know how to tackle properly. And to disguise their shortcomings they accuse him of falling deliberately."
Benítez shares Ferguson's opinion on the need to protect the game's artists, a requirement he insists is possible through retrospective video analysis and hopes will extend to his own players, particularly Fernando Torres, when Steve Bennett takes charge on Sunday. The timing of the United manager's latest criticism, however, has prompted his Liverpool counterpart to identify an ulterior motive.
"Ferguson is clever, that is clear," said Benítez. "After a difficult game [Portsmouth] he was talking about referees and before an important game [Liverpool] he is talking about protecting Ronaldo. The referees, though, have experience and they will know Ferguson. Sunday's referee has experience and he is strong enough.
"Ferguson has a lot of experience. If you need to protect Ronaldo, then you also need to protect Torres and Gerrard and all the skilful players in the league. This kind of treatment must be the same for all the teams and all the players. I wasn't surprised last week to hear what he was saying. I just want to go into the game with the same situation as the other team."
The Liverpool manager also doubted Ferguson's assertion that a lack of protection for Ronaldo could persuade the Portuguese international to take his talents eventually to Spain. "The English league is more physical than the Spanish league," he agreed, "but in terms of tactics and players it is more or less the same. Torres is playing the same football here as he did in Spain, for example. In England the supporters enjoy a more physical game and you have to accept that. They also criticise players for diving a bit more here than in other countries and that is a positive."
Ronaldo reached 33 goals for the season against Bolton, though Benítez believes he will not be the only potent forward on show. "Ronaldo is in form but what about Torres? Maybe United will worry about him," he added. "The understanding between players is always important, especially up front, and the partnership between Torres and Gerrard has made a massive difference. It is difficult for teams to stop them both and we are profiting."
Ah Ben starting his mind games liao...
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Originally posted by Sienx:
lol mind games...torres...hmm a worry though..since ferdinand is doubtful...lets jus hope brown can perform and kus..will be alert...i would prefer nani den giggs..maybe park ..cos giggs is 2 slow..rooney tevez ronaldo anderson is a must
Torres against Wes Brown? Holy shit
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United Handed Double Fitness Boost
Manchester United have been given a double boost ahead of this weekend's crunch clash with Liverpool after it was revealed that Edwin van der Sar and Rio Ferdinand should make it in time
Ferdinand in particular had looked to be out of Sunday's game after a back injury, but the defender returned to training on Thursday and should be fine to start the match.
Goalkeeper Van der Sar has also resumed full training after a groin injury that forced him to hobble out of the FA Cup defeat against Portsmouth.
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Originally posted by omgukilledkenny:
United Handed Double Fitness Boost
Manchester United have been given a double boost ahead of this weekend's crunch clash with Liverpool after it was revealed that Edwin van der Sar and Rio Ferdinand should make it in time
Ferdinand in particular had looked to be out of Sunday's game after a back injury, but the defender returned to training on Thursday and should be fine to start the match.
Goalkeeper Van der Sar has also resumed full training after a groin injury that forced him to hobble out of the FA Cup defeat against Portsmouth.
god bless amen~
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Originally posted by club18:
actually winning the league abit too hard for us ya?but if we win u guys, u never noe..
there be like 7 games left and a 6 point diff really not alot.
your maths is poor, it still be 8 points back , but heck if we win, we go 14 points clear of you cunts and that wil surely kill off your title dreams.
Edited by soccerbest 21 Mar `08, 6:22PM
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