Manchester United face Liverpool this weekend and it is clear there is a rift between the two sides. Alan Shearer found room for one Red Devil in his eleven…that might have been generous
A football enthusiast who spends much of his life on the highway, watching games all over the country. Passionate about soccer, work and mirrors. I have always believed that the Premier League is the best in the world and that England have a chance. Author of Arsene Wenger: The Inside Story of Arsenal Under Wenger.
At the moment, it’s quite difficult to pick much of a combined Liverpool and Manchester United eleven. However, with only one United player in the line-up, the selection of Alan Shearer caught my eye.
And I disagree with Shearer. Because I can’t even be that generous. You cannot include even one in your combined XI. It’s hard to think of a time when Liverpool were so dominant, so likely to win one of English football’s classic matches, so outclassed by the favorites.
Luke Shaw was the only outlier that made up Shearer’s line-up, which in itself surprised me as I think it’s only Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Brian Mbuumo that are even in the conversation.
You could make a case for Amad Diallo, but even he’s not at his best. We’ve only seen snapshots of Cunha and Mbeumo, so they could be even better for United.
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With Liverpool’s full-back problems and Milos Kerkes taking time to settle in, Shaw was an obvious choice in Shearer’s eleven. But I would still put Andy Robertson ahead of the other players.
Even if United’s system doesn’t get the best out of their best players, Fernandes is hugely important to United with his goals, assists and what he offers.
But Dominik Szoboszlai is probably my favorite player in the Premier League this season. I think he’s a really great person.
Szoboszlai’s work rate, his quality (both at right-back and in midfield, which he filled) and his mindset were incredible. Florian Wirths had a new challenge, but Szoboszlai responded by taking his game up a notch.
Even if Fernandes was there, he could not be left out of Liverpool’s eleven, much less the overall eleven.
Right-back is also a problem position for Liverpool, but I would still choose Jeremy Frimpong. Ibrahima Konate hasn’t been very consistent this season, but he’s still better than anyone at United, and Virgil van Dijk is untouchable.
How much would United prefer players like Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenbirch in midfield?
I have a big dilemma. Mo Salah shoots in. But in reality, the dilemma over which Liverpool players will be in the remaining two slots is bigger than whether United players will be signed.
For me, it would be Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isaac. they will solve it. Isak is a great player, worth the wait.
And you know you’re causing trouble with this thing. Watch United matches and get instant results. It’s like a temptation of fate. It reminds me of Arsenal vs Spurs a few years ago. Tottenham were such favorites to win that it was hard to justify Arsenal’s players, but then Arsenal upset the odds.
But even with a bad result, this is Liverpool’s chance to bounce back. I then asked a friend of mine, who is a United fan, if he could sign a United player, and he said, “No, absolutely not.”
Shearer line-up provided by Betfair: Allison. Bradley, Van Dijk, Konate, Shaw. Mac Allister, Grabenbelch, Szoboschlei. Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo
My lineup: Alison. Frimpong, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson. Mac Allister, Grabenbelch, Szoboschlei. Salah, Ekitike, Isaac.
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