PREMIER LEAGUE: OLD TRAFFORD, SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2010. KICK OFF: 1330 GMTMANCHESTER UNITED:
Steven Gerrard will line up for Liverpool having avoided FA disciplinary action this week - a development which did not surprise, but clearly irritated, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Liverpool captain might have earned a three-match retrospective ban after video footage clearly showed him elbowing Portsmouth's Michael Brown in Monday's 4-1 win but Ferguson said: "I didn't expect him to be charged, simply because it is a dysfunctional unit at the FA.
"I don't think they know what they are doing. There is no consistency for a start, so you don't expect to get any consistency. I'm not bothered. They can do what they want down there, it's crazy times down there. But I certainly think if it was a Manchester United player he would have been done, as was the case with Rio Ferdinand."
Ferdinand was banned for three matches, in similar circumstances, after he was seen to elbow Hull's Craig Fagan in January. "It tells you about their attitude and I don't really know how it has come about because I haven't really paid a lot of attention to it," added Ferguson.
"There is nothing you can do about it. You just scratch your head, everybody scratches their head at some of these decisions. But it will always be that way. You just scratch your head at some of the decisions they take and wonder how they came to that decision. It just happens."
The Gerrard affair, and Ferguson's comments, has merely added more spice to a fixture which scarcely needed any.
"I look at it as the road to, hopefully, another title for us," said Ferguson. "Our form has picked up really well the last few weeks but we do have important home games coming up - Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham who are all challenging. So, Liverpool are no different, a win would be important."
Liverpool's failure to compete for the title, having come second last season, has been one of the surprises of the campaign ... although not to the veteran United manager.
"Their challenge last year was almost championship form," he said. "But sometimes a team has to realise the second year can be hard. You peak with that particular team and sometimes it is difficult to do it again.
"I think everybody expected Liverpool to be better but they are not. The challenge for them now, along with a few others, is that fourth place which is a league of its own. We can all say with certainty that one of ourselves, Chelsea, Arsenal are going to win the league. There is no certainty at all about fourth."
Strategy: It is hard to see beyond Ferguson continuing with the by-now tried and trusted formation of Wayne Rooney on his own up front with support being provided from three central midfield players and two wingers bombing forward with devastating abandon. Antonio Valencia appears locked into that role wide on the right while Nani might be rested in favour of Ji-Sung Park whom Ferguson trusts more and more on the big stage following his performance at Old Trafford against AC Milan. Ryan Giggs, back from a fractured arm, could be pressing for a start, given that this is traditionally an occasion for experience with Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick presumably assured of their places in the middle.
Injury Update: United appear to be getting key bodies back into contention at precisely the right stage of the season. Jonny Evans, Rafael and Giggs have all returned to the first team squad this week while even long-term absentee Hargreaves is possibly only two more reserve outings away from being on the bench. Of those returning stars, Giggs would appear to be the most likely to be involved here.
LIVERPOOL
Gerrard has warned United that birthday boy Fernando Torres is in the mood to wreck their push for an unprecedented fourth successive title.
Despite enduring an injury ravaged campaign, Torres's Europa League double against Lille on Thursday took his tally for the season to 17 goals in 27 matches.
And Gerrard insists there is much more to come from the Spanish international, who celebrates his 26th birthday on Saturday, this season.
Torres scored in Liverpool's 2-0 victory over United at Anfield earlier this season after getting the better of Rio Ferdinand and he was also on the mark as Rafa Benitez's side recorded a stunning 4-1 victory at Old Trafford last season.
"There is lot more to come from Fernando in a Liverpool shirt, believe me," said Gerrard. "He had been out a long time so it was only natural that it was going to take him a few games to find his rhythm but he is closing in on that now and it is fantastic for the team.
"If we can keep him fit and firing, we'll have a really big chance of achieving what we want to and you could see against Lille that he is looking sharp. The goals will have done him the world of good.
"He is world class, it's as simple as that. When he is playing like that, it doesn't just give the crowd a lift. It lifts us all and it causes the players he comes up against to think twice about how they deal with him. He's finding form at just the right time."
After subjecting their fans to a frustrating season, Liverpool are desperate to give them something to cheer about at Old Trafford.
"Every time you go to Old Trafford, you expect a tough game but we are going in on the back of two good performances," added Gerrard. "They are the league leaders but we will give it a really good go."
Strategy: Liverpool fans will be praying Benitez's side can turn the clock back 12 months and repeat their feat of last March when they hammered United in their own backyard. Of the 11 who started last season's 4-1 win, only Sami Hyypia has left.
Hyypia's presence at the heart of thedefence has been missed, Liverpool managing just one cleansheet in their last five league games. Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher will have their work cut out taming Wayne Rooney but Liverpool have their own in-form weapon in the shape of Torres. Let battle commence.
Injury Update: Alberto Aquilani is pushing for a return after training on Friday. Aquilani missed the Europa League victory over Lille with a virus, but is hoping for an automatic return after scoring his first goal for the club against Portsmouth last Monday. Fabio Aurelio is still unavailable to a thigh injury while Albert Riera will not feature after being told to stay away following his ill-timed rant at Benitez.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Here he goes again, with typical predictability, Mr ferguson trying his mind games. The 2 incidents (Ferdinand and Gerrard) where totally different, Ferdinands was a blatant physical assault on Fagan, Gerrards simply a coming together, infact, Brown was lucky not to be cautioned for his clear obstruction on Gerrard first. Is Mr Ferguson trying to influence the referee prior to sundays game? Surely not. The ref will probably be one of Fergusons hand picked poodles, too scared of the manc mafia to show balance and fairness in his decisions. As for his comments on the FA, he`s right in part. Their inability to act on the (too numerous to list) transgressions by the old jock and his team prove one thing at least, they (the FA) are totally biased.......in favour of his club.
gerrard wouldnt get reprimanded if he kicked the ref in the nuts
Get the name right - SIR Alex Ferguson!!!! He may be old but he is STILL the best manager in England or maybe even The World. And he will still be there next year just to add to other managers troubles - which is more that can be said for Rafa. Rafa will be gone at the end of the season - if he stays that long.
This is the day we won The Premier League in 2009-2010 to set another record of 4 in a row.
Gawn yersel Big Man
Gerrard...LOL! When the sh1t hits the fan next week, Stavros will become another England casualty. Looks like only Wayne will be left...Will it be worth the trip?