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Sir Alex Ferguson has the upper hand - strength in depth will give United the edge at Anfield
By Ian Ladyman
Last updated at 2:39 AM on 23rd October 2009
As Sir Alex Ferguson has said on numerous occasions already this season, it will be the strength of his squad - rather than his team - that determines the level of Manchester United's success over the coming months.
Approaching the third of three important matches for the Barclays Premier League champions in the course of a week, it is easy to see what he means.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has a far stronger squad to call upon than his Liverpool counterpart Rafa Benitez
United may not have been playing their most fluent football so far this term. A Russian journalist in Moscow on Wednesday even asked Ferguson why United had become so 'pragmatic' in recent times.
Nevertheless, while Chelsea have stumbled recently and Liverpool have teetered on the edge of implosion, United have secured themselves a place at the top of the Premier League. Following Wednesday's functional win against CSKA in Russia, they also have a 100 per cent record after three games of Champions League football.
In two days, United round off their busy week with a trip to Anfield to take on struggling Liverpool. Last season, of course, Ferguson's side lost twice to their great rivals from along the East Lancs Road.
Fab choice: Young Brazilian defender Fabio was one of the United fringe players who came in and impressed against CSKA Moscow
But the fact that United went on to win the league and reach the final of the Champions League would appear to suggest that Ferguson's team still has the edge when it comes to staying the course.
Flying home from Moscow in the early hours of yesterday, Sky analyst and former England captain David Platt appeared to hit upon one of the reasons.
'I was just hugely impressed with United against CSKA and it reflected well on the depth and quality of their squad,' said Platt.
'I thought they did a fantastic job in coming to a difficult place, coping with an unusual surface, getting a result and managing to rest and protect players all at the same time. There are not many teams in Europe and certainly not in England who could do that.
'I think that is one of United's greatest strengths and certainly one of Sir Alex Ferguson's great strengths. He can afford to shift players around, ask them to do different jobs and still know that he has the necessary quality to get the result he needs.
'The team from Moscow will be different to the one at Anfield on Sunday but, by making the changes, he didn't affect the result. Not all teams seem to have that luxury at the moment.'
A look at the performances of Liverpool and United this week seems to go some way to proving the point. Liverpool were without their two best players - Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres - for games against Sunderland and Lyon and lost both.
United, meanwhile, managed to squeeze past Bolton and CSKA without Wayne Rooney and Darren Fletcher.
Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen have more than 200 England caps between them. All 11 players in United’s reserve line-up could step into the first team any time. In contrast, with the possible exception of Daniel Agger, none of Liverpool’s reserves look ready for a regular spot in the first team - which speaks volumes when you consider how poor the performances have been lately.
There may not be much to choose between the two first choice elevens. But certainly United's second eleven, featuring players such as Gary Neville, Wes Brown, Jonny Evans, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen, would fancy its chances against the Liverpool line-up (shown on the right) as well as most of their other rivals.
Chelsea, whose second eleven would include players like Alex, Joe Cole, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel, certainly look strong, as do United's neighbours Manchester City. They would have Micah Richards, Sylvinho, Vincent Kompany, Michael Johnson and Roque Santa Cruz in their team.
Liverpool and Arsenal, however, do not seem quite so blessed, at least when it comes to the vital commodity of experience.
Having made five changes in Moscow from the team that beat Bolton, United will in all likelihood make at least four more for the trip to Anfield. Rooney, Fletcher and Ryan Giggs all have good chances of being fit.
Ferguson was also able to take Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes off early at the Luzhniki Stadium in a bid to ready them for their roles at the weekend.
Ferdinand said last night: 'I don't know if we can knock them out of the title race, we just want to do well for ourselves. That means beating them and who knows where that puts them? I don't really care.
'Two defeats last season against them hurts but would you take them beating us twice again if we won the league? Ask every player in the team and they would say yes to that question. But it would be nice to beat them. I have had some great days at Anfield and Old Trafford beating them and I would love to reproduce that.'
FIVE CLASSIC CLASHES BETWEEN TWO OLD ENEMIES...
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1222316/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-upper-hand--strength-depth-Manchester-United-edge-Anfield.html#ixzz0UlLVfTLH
By Ian Ladyman
Last updated at 2:39 AM on 23rd October 2009
As Sir Alex Ferguson has said on numerous occasions already this season, it will be the strength of his squad - rather than his team - that determines the level of Manchester United's success over the coming months.
Approaching the third of three important matches for the Barclays Premier League champions in the course of a week, it is easy to see what he means.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has a far stronger squad to call upon than his Liverpool counterpart Rafa BenitezUnited may not have been playing their most fluent football so far this term. A Russian journalist in Moscow on Wednesday even asked Ferguson why United had become so 'pragmatic' in recent times.
Nevertheless, while Chelsea have stumbled recently and Liverpool have teetered on the edge of implosion, United have secured themselves a place at the top of the Premier League. Following Wednesday's functional win against CSKA in Russia, they also have a 100 per cent record after three games of Champions League football.
In two days, United round off their busy week with a trip to Anfield to take on struggling Liverpool. Last season, of course, Ferguson's side lost twice to their great rivals from along the East Lancs Road.
Fab choice: Young Brazilian defender Fabio was one of the United fringe players who came in and impressed against CSKA MoscowBut the fact that United went on to win the league and reach the final of the Champions League would appear to suggest that Ferguson's team still has the edge when it comes to staying the course.
Flying home from Moscow in the early hours of yesterday, Sky analyst and former England captain David Platt appeared to hit upon one of the reasons.
'I was just hugely impressed with United against CSKA and it reflected well on the depth and quality of their squad,' said Platt.
'I thought they did a fantastic job in coming to a difficult place, coping with an unusual surface, getting a result and managing to rest and protect players all at the same time. There are not many teams in Europe and certainly not in England who could do that.
'I think that is one of United's greatest strengths and certainly one of Sir Alex Ferguson's great strengths. He can afford to shift players around, ask them to do different jobs and still know that he has the necessary quality to get the result he needs.
'The team from Moscow will be different to the one at Anfield on Sunday but, by making the changes, he didn't affect the result. Not all teams seem to have that luxury at the moment.'
A look at the performances of Liverpool and United this week seems to go some way to proving the point. Liverpool were without their two best players - Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres - for games against Sunderland and Lyon and lost both.
United, meanwhile, managed to squeeze past Bolton and CSKA without Wayne Rooney and Darren Fletcher.
Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen have more than 200 England caps between them. All 11 players in United’s reserve line-up could step into the first team any time. In contrast, with the possible exception of Daniel Agger, none of Liverpool’s reserves look ready for a regular spot in the first team - which speaks volumes when you consider how poor the performances have been lately.
There may not be much to choose between the two first choice elevens. But certainly United's second eleven, featuring players such as Gary Neville, Wes Brown, Jonny Evans, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen, would fancy its chances against the Liverpool line-up (shown on the right) as well as most of their other rivals.
Chelsea, whose second eleven would include players like Alex, Joe Cole, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel, certainly look strong, as do United's neighbours Manchester City. They would have Micah Richards, Sylvinho, Vincent Kompany, Michael Johnson and Roque Santa Cruz in their team.
Liverpool and Arsenal, however, do not seem quite so blessed, at least when it comes to the vital commodity of experience.
Having made five changes in Moscow from the team that beat Bolton, United will in all likelihood make at least four more for the trip to Anfield. Rooney, Fletcher and Ryan Giggs all have good chances of being fit.
Ferguson was also able to take Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes off early at the Luzhniki Stadium in a bid to ready them for their roles at the weekend.
Ferdinand said last night: 'I don't know if we can knock them out of the title race, we just want to do well for ourselves. That means beating them and who knows where that puts them? I don't really care.
'Two defeats last season against them hurts but would you take them beating us twice again if we won the league? Ask every player in the team and they would say yes to that question. But it would be nice to beat them. I have had some great days at Anfield and Old Trafford beating them and I would love to reproduce that.'
FIVE CLASSIC CLASHES BETWEEN TWO OLD ENEMIES...
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1222316/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-upper-hand--strength-depth-Manchester-United-edge-Anfield.html#ixzz0UlLVfTLH
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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