Soccer

Manchester United vs. Liverpool: Red Devils, Reds enter Premier League showdown headed in opposite directions

Published

2 days ago

After a big win in the Manchester derby on Dec. 15, not much has gone right since for Ruben Amorim and Manchester United with the Red Devils losing four consecutive matches and being shut out in three of those. It won’t get any easier traveling to face the league leaders in Arne Slot’s Liverpool on Sunday. Behind Mohamed Salah’s 17 goals and 13 assists, Liverpool’s lead in table is six points as they zero in on the Premier League title.

The professionalism of this squad is a direct contrast to what United are going through currently. While Marcus Rashford has returned to the fold after being left out of the squad for four consecutive matches, that doesn’t mean that all is well at Old Trafford. Amorim has a tough job ahead of him in steadying this squad while these teams show the differences that he and Slot inherited in their respective teams.

While it’s not fair to compare a manager who took over for a legend to start the season to someone who is trying to salvage the house that Erik ten Hag built, that shows how different Slot and Amorim’s challenges are. There’s no surprise that Amorim has inherited a decaying foundation, it’s been like that for a while at United, and that’s also why he has expressed that this could be a painful process.

Growth is there for United but he’s also not a wizard. The January transfer window could bring new faces but given United’s wage concerns and squad size, they may need to sell in order to make purchases that could make a difference. Time doesn’t wait for anyone, especially at United, which is why this match is a critical one.

It’s one thing if United were having middling form but they’re being played off the park by everyone going down the center of the midfield. Key players like Bruno Fernandes are getting suspended instead of improving that issue, not leaving Amorim with much to work with. Losing a fifth match by multiple goals will begin to bring questions about what Amorim can do to turn this side around, but it’s more of a testament to Slot’s big red machine in Anfield and showing how to quickly develop momentum.

Stepping into the shoes of Jurgen Klopp, Slot could’ve crumbled under pressure, but instead, he has tweaked Liverpool’s setup to make it easier to repeat good performances than it was under their former boss. Even Liverpool’s most recent loss to Nottingham Forest is something that looks much different now that Forest are up to third in the league. Continuing these performances won’t be an easy feat but if Liverpool can do that, it’ll result in collecting a Premier League title.

United may be closer to the relegation zone than they are to a European spot, but if there is a saving grace to the season, it’s Europa League. Winning that can still provide a critical Champions League spot and something to show that Amroim is moving the squad in the right direction. The squad isn’t anywhere near where they need to be to dream about that yet, but facing Liverpool and living to tell the tale is something that can provide confidence in a season that has failed to even come close to being considered average.