Excellent piece by Fanning on Saturdays game. One of the best journalists out there who says it as it is, with no need to fear criticising any of the more powerful figures in English football (namely Ferguson) in case of reprecussions. Incidentally I believe Ferguson wouldn't talk to Sky after the match on Saturday because of the scheduling of the match. If Rafa had done the same after a 4-1 defeat imagine the media outcry. Double standards from the cowardly British media. Benitez and Wenger in my opinion are the only 2 men with the courage and strength of mind to stand up to Ferguson. Torres inspires famous victory By DION FANNING Sunday March 15 2009 Touchable. Liverpool made Manchester United look like Real Madrid at Old Trafford yesterday. When the Spanish champions were exposed at Anfield on Tuesday night, all praise of Liverpool's ferocity and skill was hushed by knowing voices insisting that Madrid are a brittle team comprised of shirkers and chancers. Manchester United were supposed to offer more but they crumbled in a characterless display which was astonishing for the number of big stars who chose yesterday afternoon to disappear. Rafael Benitez had insisted on Friday that United were not untouchable, as some had dubbed them since they went on a run of victories that had moved them clear at the top of the table. Benitez chose again last week to offer some more facts to add to the catalogue he had listed in January which so enraged Ferguson. Ferguson was supposed to have won that psychological battle but despite his protestations that Benitez's words hadn't bothered him, he doesn't like anybody pointing out the massive influence he has on English football. Perhaps, Benitez won the battle after all. Yesterday, the referee got the big decisions right, sending off Nemanja Vidic and correctly awarding each side a penalty. Benitez may be crazy like a fox. Liverpool certainly didn't look like the vanquished. "Rafa's cracking up," the Liverpool fans sang happily as United's players spent the early afternoon wandering dejectedly all across Old Trafford looking for Fernando Torres. Torres and Gerrard have started only nine games together this season and Benitez could rightly claim that this has had the greatest impact on their title challenge. Ferguson will be pointing out to his players that it is only one game and Liverpool will probably still regret the dropped points against the weaker Premier League sides. If United are flat-track bullies, Liverpool's failure to perform in Stoke and Wigan as they can in Manchester and Madrid has undermined their ambitions. If United win their game in hand they will again have a seven-point lead but this side's pretension towards greatness has been undermined by this capitulation. The £60m Ferguson spent on Michael Carrick, Anderson and Dimitar Berbatov looked like financial recklessness. On the evidence of Carrick and Anderson's performances yesterday (Berbatov was left out), Bernie Madoff would have brought a better return. And then there was Cristiano Ronaldo. He opened the scoring with a penalty yesterday but then disappeared into a vortex of vanity. Six minutes from time, he reappeared in front of the Liverpool goal, only to miss the ball completely. He will look forward to playing against Fulham next week. When Liverpool beat United at Anfield in September, Ferguson said his side had defended like a non-league team. This time, facing Torres and Gerrard, neither of whom had started in that victory, United rarely reached that standard. Liverpool had to rearrange their back four after Alvaro Arbeloa was injured in the warm-up, but it was United who looked as if they had pulled a ringer or two from the stands to make up the numbers. Rio Ferdinand -- apart from repeated attempts to kick Torres out of the game -- was vacant and Vidic was sent off, as he was at Anfield, for a professional foul. Perhaps it was the sight of a Liverpool player scoring at Old Trafford for the first time since 2004 that shook United or it may have just been Fernando Torres. United were as casual and as unprofessional as they had been against Inter last Wednesday, but they weren't facing Zlatan Ibrahimovic yesterday. Torres, at last approaching full fitness, has a terrifying cocktail of honesty and bewitching skill, aided by an assassin's temperament. He hustled Vidic for the mistake that led to the first goal, finished it nonchalantly and then played Gerrard in for the foul which allowed Liverpool to take the lead. They controlled the game and even in the second half when they sat back a little, a lifeless, coasting United created nothing. They were seemingly convinced that whatever happened on the pitch, nothing could alter their destiny. Ferguson viewed things differently. With 20 minutes to go, he made three changes, suggesting that he didn't think this game would have no impact on the title race. Carrick, Anderson and Park were the three withdrawn but he could have pulled the names out of a hat. It made no difference. Vidic was sent off for fouling Gerrard, Aurelio scored from the free-kick and then, most insultingly, Andrea Dossena, a figure of fun for Liverpool supporters -- although perhaps not anymore -- scored the fourth. There were a number of facts to cheer Benitez: his first win at Old Trafford, his hundredth league win at Liverpool and, most importantly, three points which he had demanded as a necessity to keep Liverpool in the title race. But he has also perhaps had a week which will grant him the respect he deserves and, last week, demanded. The opinion-formers in the English game have never warmed to him for the simple reason that he has little time for their opinions. They have talked about rotation and criticised his transfer policy, forgetting that he bought Torres when Ferguson doubted the player, instead signing Nani, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves. Benitez has had less spare change and could afford fewer gambles but he has created a first team that can challenge the best. They must now learn to beat the worst and hope that this defeat has caused United to doubt themselves. Ferguson will try to ensure it doesn't. He has seen it all before, seen his side lose five to Newcastle and six to Southampton and still win the title. But his ego will have been battered by United's worst defeat at Old Trafford in 17 years, their worst defeat since knocking Liverpool off their "f***ing perch" was still his main prize. Benitez made some big statements in recent weeks but through the wonder of Torres and the industry of his side, he has ensured that, as he insisted, the title is still in play. Right now, he appears to be in possession of just the facts. - DION FANNING
Particularly like this bit about the ladyboy. 'And then there was Cristiano Ronaldo. He opened the scoring with a penalty yesterday but then disappeared into a vortex of vanity. Six minutes from time, he reappeared in front of the Liverpool goal, only to miss the ball completely. He will look forward to playing against Fulham next week.'
yeah me tooBig game player my hole.fabio owned him on saturday and cole and clichy have been doing a good job on him for years.
great read alright . even a neutral couldn't agrue with it. As for the fulham quote ,Konchesky will probably get sent off trying to kick him.