[mr_missile]

A Few Thoughts On Liverpool 1 United 1 extracted from article in football365

The thing that sets true goalscorers apart from the rest is movement. Javier Hernandez is a master.

Some quick stats: Liverpool had 56% of possession, five shots on target to United's two, eight corners to United's three and a pass completion rate of 79% to United's 72%.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team selection seemed odd. There were obvious and sensible arguments for the 4-5-1 team selection (matching Liverpool's expected set-up, a safety-first approach away from home, introducing some fresh legs after international week), but if nothing else it sent a curious message. The team seemed designed in deference to Liverpool, who have been in decent but hardly scintillating form so far this season, a curious mentality for a side top of the table without a defeat so far. The use of Park Ji-sung in particular made it look like a side that Fergie might select for a tricky away Champions League game. At best, it looked like a manager who would be happy with a point, but at worst it smacked of one scared of Liverpool.

Having decided to pick a side to contain their opponents (in the early stages at least), the personnel seemed odd. Danny Welbeck is a fine striker, but perhaps not one to chuck in as a lone forward in a game as big as this. With not a great deal of support likely to come from a central midfield three of Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher and Phil Jones, Welbeck was always likely to be isolated, and so it came to pass. Surely therefore, a man with a little more experience of playing as a lone forward would've been more sensible. Does Ferguson not trust Wayne Rooney in that role? Was he trying to protect his number 10 after a trying week?

It's tricky to disagree with Ferguson's post-match assessment that both sides cancelled each other out in the first half, and the game only came to life after Liverpool's goal. All those fans in Singapore, so beloved of Ian Ayre, would've got more early entertainment watching Bolton at Wigan - Nigel Reo-Coker bagged in that game after just four minutes.

It was slightly difficult to take Rio Ferdinand's complaints about Charlie Adam's rather easy tumble seriously. Sure, Adam fell to the ground under the very slightest touch (and Ferdinand admitted there was contact), and in that way 'earned' the free kick, which is unpleasant, but imagine if it had been Rooney, or Hernandez, or even Ferdinand himself. Ferdinand's response would've been 'There was contact, so it was a free-kick', as all professional footballers say.

Aside from an apparent desire to protect his genitals (no comment), Ryan Giggs allowing Gerrard's free-kick to sail where a defensive wall should've been was inexplicable and inexcusable. TEAMtalk.com scribe, friend of F365 and all-round good egg Ian Watson to put things plainly: 'If you're in a wall, don't try & be clever. Stand still & trust that your keeper has set it up in the right place.'

The thing that sets truly great goalscorers apart from the rest is movement. Occasionally it's in the form of outright pace, but it's often the way a striker finds space, and if there is no space to be found, creates it. Fernando Torres is brilliant at that, and if one is to go back a little further, Gerd Muller was a master. Javier Hernandez has this knack too, virtually manufacturing his equaliser with some brilliant movement on the edge of the six-yard box. At first glance, it looked like shambolic defending by Martin Skrtel, but having watched the reply it seems more appropriate to give Hernandez credit for turning the big defender inside out, and forcing him to slip over. Hernandez's nimble feet made the chance, and the finish was simple.

Having said that, if Hernandez hadn't scored, Ryan Giggs was waiting unmarked just behind him to take advantage. Whoever was supposed to be marking Giggs needs to be spoken to in a very firm manner.

Anyone have any idea why more was not made of Jose Enrique's handball in the area late on?

The great thing about watching young players in the Premier League is you can see them developing. David de Gea started his Manchester United career in shakey fashion, but he was excellent at Anfield. One flap in the second half aside, he was assured and impressive, and capped the performance off with a couple of late saves. The first, from a close-range effort from Dirk Kuyt, was simple enough because it was more or less straight at him, but the second from a looping Jordan Henderson effort, offered more evidence as to why Sir Alex Ferguson has so much faith in him.