Liverpool-Man United: What are the chances for the "Red Devils" of Manchester?

Man United have a chance to "break the curse" against Liverpool at Anfield. (Photo: MUFC)

The match between Liverpool and Manchester United will take place at 10:30 p.m. tonight (October 19).

The Red Brigade is in serious form crisis.

This weekend's clash between the two English rivals comes at a time when Liverpool fans are already reeling from anxiety. Three straight defeats to Crystal Palace

Lace, Galatasaray and Chelsea have sent the team's morale to rock bottom. Under new manager Arne Slot, the Merseyside club have yet to find the consistency they enjoyed during their golden years under Jurgen Klopp.

Dutch striker Cody Gakpo spoke frankly about the reasons for the "Red Brigade"'s decline: "Having many new players coming in is always a challenge because they need time to adapt. We are in the process of changing the squad, and when there is too much rotation, everything will become more difficult."

It wasn’t last season, but this season that Liverpool had a major transition. The team had lost many long-time players who had been with them through thick and thin. Now Luis Diaz is gone, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott are no longer here. So the players have to find a way to fill that void and make things work together again.

This will certainly be a difficult reality that coach Arne Slot needs to find a solution for soon. With a series of new strikers joining this summer, it is not easy for everyone to have a common voice soon. The massive change of personnel has caused "The Reds" to lose the rhythm that is the specialty that helps them spread fear throughout Europe.

Wirtz has not found a common voice with his new teammates. (Photo: LPFC)

Not only that, the Reds also face a storm of injuries. Ibrahima Konate relapsed with a thigh injury in the loss to Chelsea, missing the series of international friendly matches with the French team. The man who was pulled down to replace him, Ryan Gravenberch, also had a hamstring problem while serving the Dutch team.

Coach Ronald Koeman had to speak up to reassure: "Ryan feels a little pain in his hamstring so we don't want to take any risks."

Gravenberch himself shared: "I'm fine, just taking precautions because the season is still long."

To make matters worse, Liverpool's mainstay Alisson Becker is also out for several weeks with a similar injury. New signing Giovanni Leoni has a serious knee injury, while Japan captain Wataru Endo has been ruled out of the international squad with an undisclosed fitness issue.

If these injuries do not recover in time, Slot could lose up to four key positions in defense and midfield, which could turn Liverpool into "easy prey" for sudden counterattacks from opponents.

Despite the decline, Liverpool still possess a strong attack, with Ekitike, Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and new signing Alexander Isak, who is still finding his footing after a short preparation period.

Ekitike is a striker who is quickly integrating into Liverpool's playing style. (Photo: LPFC)

Gakpo emphasized: “Our goal is to defend the title this season. We have a strong enough squad, with many quality players. In addition to the Premier League, we also want to perform better in the Champions League than last year.”

The fighting spirit and the desire to conquer have never left the people wearing red shirts of the port city. Anfield will still be the biggest support, where every cheer from the stands can turn into a source of energy to lift the spirit of the whole team.

However, Slot knows that the upcoming opponent is not easy. As confidence is gradually returning to the "Devils", the away trip to Manchester United may bring a tough challenge for Arne Slot.

The "Red Devils" need to regain confidence soon.

For Man United, the last time this team left Anfield with three full points was more than seven years ago. Since then, the "Red Devils" have been struggling in the title race and have never known victory at the stronghold of their rivals. However, at this time, when Liverpool are facing many problems, the opportunity to break the curse seems to be opening up for coach Ruben Amorim's team.

A 2-0 win over Sunderland just before the international break not only brought three points, but also relieved a lot of pressure for the Portuguese tactician. It also marked the return of Mason Mount, who scored in his first start since August. Along with Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo, the trio are giving Amorim more options in attack.

In defence, centre-back Lisandro Martinez has returned to training after an ACL injury, while Noussair Mazraoui is likely to be fit enough to play. With a near-full squad, United can head to Anfield with confidence and momentum to conquer their opponents.

Amorim knows he has a chance to make a breakthrough. Since taking over the Manchester club, the young coach has not been able to help United win two consecutive Premier League matches.

“That will be the next target,” he said after the win over Sunderland, “and there is no better place to do it than Anfield.”

Amorim is optimistic about Man United's situation ahead of the match against Liverpool. (Photo: MUFC)

However, not everyone is optimistic. Former player Paul Scholes, when commenting on this match on the program The Overlap, also showed caution: "He has to think of a way to get something from Anfield. I will aim to try to draw the game. Have to find a way to stop them scoring."

Scholes believes pragmatism is essential. Man United need to have a completely different mindset from Arsenal. According to this midfielder, the team competing for the championship will need to win when coming to Anfield, while the Red Devils just need to avoid defeat to be a great success at this time.

Even the former England midfielder did not hide his pessimism: “United are stuck in a quagmire. I can’t remember the last time they won a big game, probably against Man City last year. Sadly, no one believes this group of players can get out of that situation now. It feels almost predictable: they will go there and lose.”

Such judgments, harsh as they are, can be a source of motivation for Amorim. The lack of confidence from the outside can sometimes be a slow burn that burns the fighting spirit within. The gaps in Liverpool’s central defence and midfield can be a fatal weakness. If Gravenberch, Endo and Konate don’t recover in time, Slot’s defence will lack strength and stopping power. That’s the promised land for Mason Mount’s penetration or Mbeumo and Cunha’s speedy counter-attacks.

Cunha and Mount promise to bring quality shots to Man United. (Photo: MUFC)

Tactically, Amorim will likely stick with their preferred 3-4-3 formation, with Bruno Fernandes taking on the role of conductor. The return of Dalot will allow United to attack up the flanks, which is crucial in putting pressure on the hosts’ patchy defence.

More importantly, Man United are gradually regaining confidence. Despite the doubts, the atmosphere in the dressing room is more positive than ever. The return of key players, combined with Liverpool's loss of force, makes many people believe that the "Red Devils" can do something.

A draw at Anfield would have been acceptable, but with the high morale and recent stumbles of The Kops, Amorim's team are expected to continue to win, and that would not only help United reduce the gap to two points with Liverpool but also start a new chapter, adding morale to their reign.

MINH PHU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/liverpool-man-united-co-hoi-nao-cho-quy-do-thanh-manchester-post916408.html