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United fans cheering for Liverpool? Surely not…

Published by Ian John on April 26, 2010

Of all the rivalries in English football that are tainted with animosity and universal loathing in equal measure, that angst felt between Manchester United and Liverpool burns most intensely. The two sets of supporters can never agree on a single matter. Each takes unutterable glee in the misfortune of the other, which has occasionally led to some quite appalling, and frankly shameful, behaviour at times. Each game is contested with the fervour of a cup final, each tackle contested as if life depended on it. Each goal greeted with hysteria, each victory with the smug knowledge that you have the gloating rights, until you next meet at least.

But for once, on Saturday, Manchester United fans will be in a somewhat invidious position. Two points behind Chelsea and now, thanks to Stoke’s capitulation at Stamford Bridge, several goals worse off on goal difference, United need help from outside sources if they are to win their record beating 19th title and their fourth in succession.. That help is unlikely to come from Wigan on the final day of the season, who travel to Stamford Bridge safe in the knowledge their Premiership survival is guaranteed.

No instead, irony of ironies, Manchester United fans are now looking to Liverpool to take at least a point, preferably three, from the Londoners when they visit Anfield at the weekend.

And already the nonsense has started.

We’ve already had the insinuation that Liverpool fans will start wearing Chelsea shirts for the game, that they will boo their own team simply as a way to ensure Chelsea win at United’s expense. I have absolutely no doubt in the lead up to the game Sir Alex Ferguson’s mind games will start and he will question Liverpool’s motivation for the game and state that he doesn’t think the Reds will put the effort in as much as if we were playing United. There will always be the perfect excuse for United fans, should Chelsea win, that Liverpool lost ‘on purpose’ simply to deny them a place in the history books. Sadly, I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that there are many Liverpool fans out there, so blinded in their hate for United, that they would rather see Chelsea win to deny United the title.

So it’s a foregone conclusion is it? Chelsea stroll to a comfortable win at Anfield? The title all but won as Liverpool throw in the towel simply to spite United?

I truly hope not and I really, really doubt it.

One of the biggest factors about Liverpool is that they believe, rightly or wrongly, that they always play to the spirit of the game. They proved that when beating Blackburn on the final day of the season several years ago, when United, through their own failings, failed to beat West Ham and lost the title on the final day. That week there were rumours of Blackburn shirts being sold in their thousands to Liverpool fans, that Kenny Dalglish, Blackburn manager, would receive preferential treatment. He didn’t, Liverpool won the game and United failed to beat West Ham. Blackburn won the title not because of Liverpool’s acquiesence, but because of Manchester United’s inability to win the crucial game.

And so it should be this weekend.

Anything less than a 100% fully committed Liverpool performance to win the game would be a travesty. It would be as blatant a scar in the history of the club as any of the other tragedies that have befallen the club in past times. It would be shameful and I don’t think any fair minded Liverpool fan, even those without an ounce of compassion for Manchester United, would concede otherwise. Liverpool must try to win the game as keenly as if it was the first game of the season or a cup final.

After all, there is still the remote possibility that we may finish fourth.

By the same token however, if Liverpool fail to play well (as they have done on so many occasions this season) and Chelsea triumph, then Manchester United fans should realise that this is not because of Liverpool’s compliance, but because of their deficiencies. As they have been all too keen to point out all season long (rightly in many cases), this Liverpool side is a poor imitation of last seasons. Taking on the table toppers in a crucial game is not ideal for a team that has struggled for form all year long. Liverpool have, as United fans have gleefully pointed out, been awful this season. Shocking at times. So don’t expect them to be any better just because you need them to win this time.

If Liverpool win the game, they will do so for the benefit of Liverpool football club. If United win the title, they will do so because they deserve it. That stands for Chelsea too.

Liverpool may be a limited team, but they will play Saturday’s game with integrity and with passion enough to win it. Whether they have the skill to do so, remains to be seen. However for any United fan or member of staff to claim otherwise would for me confirm only one thing:

That they don’t have the integrity or class to be Champions, just as Liverpool lacked the ability.

Image Courtesy of ***LFC Nr1 *** on Flickr.com

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