Manc build up

[Pablo]

Because the occasion isn't about Suarez and Evra.

Because I dont want that horrible lying cunt who's tried to ruin our players career having anything to do with Hillsborough.

And because there is no need for anything to do with Munich regardless of how awful it was.

Well said. The whole Suarez/Evra thing pales into insignificance at the moment.

[Tee]

Sahin would get mauled by Valencia if he played LB. He is simply not pacey enough or strong enough IMO. For now I would have to settle with Enrique and pray that he returns to some kind of form on Sunday.

[Shaggy]

This Is Anfield @thisisanfield
Kenny Dalglish will return to Anfield on Sunday for the first time since being sacked as manager in a show of support for the 96.

[Assassin]

[Shaggy]

A United season ticket holder...

http://www.paulvallely.com/?p=6128

Man Utd fans should sing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ at Anfield this Sunday

2012 SEPTEMBER 21

by Paul Vallely

Rodgers and Hammerstein are not generally associated with hymnody but it seemed apt when the organist at our local Methodist church decided to play “You’ll Never Walk Alone” during Communion last Sunday. In its original context in the musical Carousel the song is sung to comfort a newly-bereaved widow. But it is also the anthem of Liverpool Football Club where the families of the 96 fans who died in the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster finally found some succour last week.

What made it all the more poignant was that the organist was playing in a church in Manchester, a city just 30 miles from Liverpool, but where a deeply entrenched rivalry divides the two great cities and their football teams. You might think it trivial to talk about a merely sporting antagonism in the face of such issues of life and death. So it ought to be. And yet it is not.

The day before I had been at Old Trafford to see Manchester United. We were playing Wigan. And yet anti-Liverpool chants from a small section of the crowd showed that the unfolding of the evidence of the Hillsborough Independent Panel had done nothing to assuage the visceral hatred of some United fans. Rather the national outpouring of sympathy for Liverpool seemed to have inflamed a hardcore minority.

In the pub afterwards more boors screamed the same chants at the television screen when the Liverpool players appeared ahead of their match at Sunderland. “Murderers,” they chanted repeatedly, and “Always the victim; it’s never your fault”, peddling the 23-year-old calumny that those who died were killed because of the bad behaviour of fellow Liverpudlians.

The findings of the independent panel exonerated the Liverpool fans on such a charge but, as Winston Churchill once put it “a lie is halfway round the world before the truth has got its boots on”. People will persist in believing a lie if it suits them.

What hope for football yobs when a senior policeman does something similar? Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison in a statement acknowledging that the disaster was the fault of the police felt compelled to add: “Fans’ behaviour… made the job of the police… harder than it needed to be”. Sir Norman has denied being a member of a black propaganda unit set up to impugn the reputations of those who died in order to shift blame away from the police. But there can be no doubt of his poor judgement in this injudicious statement.

Poor judgement abounds below the public surface. The tribalism of the policeman or football fan is rooted in the seductive idea of defending one’s own. Twitter was awash with it. I had an extended altercation with one United fan who denied that the tasteless chants had been heard, and then admitted his primary concern was to defend the reputation of the club. South Yorkshire Police used the same argument 23 years ago.

All this is why it is essential for those in authority to lead by example. At the match between Reading and Spurs this week the club authorities played “You’ll Never Walk Alone” before the game to a standing ovation from both sets of fans. Everton preceded their last game with a rendition of “He Ain’t Heavy…He’s My Brother” in tribute to their fellow Merseysiders.

United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson had called for an end to the hostility between his club and Liverpool. He was not heeded by some. Perhaps he should remind his fans that when eight Manchester United players died in the Munich aircrash in 1958, Liverpool offered United five players so the Manchester club could finish the season. Ahead of the match between Liverpool and Man Utd on Sunday he needs to make a gesture of considerable magnitude. And on the day the United fans should know what to sing.

Don't agree they should sing YNWA ....but otherwise that's another excellent piece.

[Rich]

I don't see why not. This past week is the perfect opportunity for some common sense between both sets of fans.

Chants about Hillsborough (and Heysel) and chants about Munich should never be heard again - anywhere.

[Shaggy]

A flyer will be handed out at away turnstiles on Sunday with a message from Alex Ferguson to United fans to respect the situation. It will say:

Mike Keegan @mikekeeganmen
SAF: "Today is about much more than not blocking gangways. Today is about thinking hard about what makes United the best club in the world."

Mike Keegan @mikekeeganmen
SAF: "Our rivalry with Liverpool is based on a determination to come out on top..." #mufc

Mike Keegan @mikekeeganmen
SAF "...a wish to see us crowned the best against a team that held that honour for so long." #mufc

Mike Keegan @mikekeeganmen
SAF: "It cannot and should never be based on personal hatred. Just ten days ago, we heard the terrible, damning truth about the deaths..."

Mike Keegan @mikekeeganmen
SAF: "...of 96 fans who went to watch their team try and reach the FA Cup final and never came back." #mufc

Mike Keegan @mikekeeganmen
SAF: "What happened to them should wake the conscience of everyone connected with the game." #mufc #lfc

Mike Keegan @mikekeeganmen
SAF: "Our great club stands with our great neighbours Liverpool today to remember that loss and pay tribute to their campaign for justice."

Mike Keegan @mikekeeganmen
SAF: " I know I can count on you to stand with us in the best traditions of the best fans in the game." #mufc #lfc

Mike Keegan @mikekeeganmen
Powerful, emotive stuff from SAF. If that does not do the trick nothing will. #mufc #lfc

[chadrtc]

A flyer will be handed out at away turnstiles on Sunday with a message from Alex Ferguson to United fans to respect the situation. It will say:

That's good stuff... but the lengths they're going to tend to suggest that they're expecting some misbehaving from that rather large minority who chant the same horrible ****e every week.

I'd dearly love for what's happened in the last couple of weeks to be a catalyst to end the chanting... sadly, even if they do behave themselves this week, we all know they'll be back at it again next weekend.

[Chazza]

Fair play to Ferguson for that hopefully it has the right effect.

[Leyton388]

Not going to make any difference if you ask me.

[danperkins]

Sahin is awkward, I want to see him play more as you could see his class yesterday but he also looks a liability defensively and when someone like Kagawa is on the other team it's asking for trouble. Seemed like he almost got in Allen's way v Arsenal and no one ended up picking up Cazorla, wouldn't risk that on Sunday. I'd put Gerrard there, he's played some of these games with immense discipline over the years and we usually beat these by physically dominating them in CM.

[McDermotX]

He's talking again......you can't stop him !

Could do without the 'Sir Alex' all the same...........'Alex' would be OK, 'Ferguson' would be better

Brendan: It's an important day
21st Sep 2012 - Latest News

Brendan Rodgers believes Sunday's meeting with Manchester United is both a chance for the club to pay respect to Hillsborough and turn encouraging performances into tangible points.
brendan rodgers

The match represents the first chance at Anfield since the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report for the Reds to offer tributes to the 96 fans who lost their lives in 1989 and the families who have fought for justice ever since.

A victory and three points are also in the manager's sights from a match which the Northern Irishman has followed since childhood and believes is the 'biggest game in British football'.

"There are obviously a number of things attributed to the game on Sunday," Rodgers told reporters at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

"First and foremost, it's our opportunity to commemorate the findings and pay respects for the families and the people who have worked tirelessly for 23 years.

"Football in general has played a great support in that - a lot of clubs have shown their support, which has been fantastic. This is our opportunity, first and foremost, to do that at Anfield.

"So obviously it's an important day because they deserve that respect from both teams and both supporters. Then we'll move onto the game, which will be equally important."

Rodgers expects both sets of supporters to respect the emotional element of the Barclays Premier League fixture and hopes his 'simmering' side can secure a vital victory.

The 39-year-old continued: "It's an emotionally-charged game. I wouldn't sit here and tell the Liverpool supporters how to behave.

"How they have behaved over many years has been fantastic. These are well-educated supporters who value humanity, so I've got no issues or problems there.

"The message has been clear from Sir Alex as well in relation to his supporters. So I'm sure that once we pay the tributes to the families, we can get on with the football.

"It's two teams packed with very, very gifted players, and for us we're really looking forward to the game, being at home.

"We've been simmering really, our performance levels have been excellent in parts of the games. But we want to get a win, move us on and keep us moving forward."

Reds fans would like nothing more than that first win of the league campaign to come against rivals United, and Rodgers revealed how he has been encouraged by the steel developing throughout his team.

"This is a game that I've grown up with as the biggest game in British football, Liverpool versus Manchester United," said the man born in Carnlough, County Antrim.

"In my time growing up as a child and through into my teenage years and right the way through, it's two massive clubs, iconic clubs worldwide and you fight for the right on the field.

"My players have been outstanding since I came here, absolutely first class. We haven't got the rub of the green sometimes in the games but every day our spirit is getting better and getting stronger the more we get to know each other and work with each other.

"You've seen that in the last two games. Sunderland away from home is a difficult place to go. We were 1-0 down having dominated the game but second half we really stepped it up and the point was the least that we deserved. Then last night [against Young Boys] takes character away from home.

"Everyone talks about the style that we're looking to introduce. What's equally or even more important for me is the steel in the team, and we're starting to see that. That will be important for us going forward."

That determination was in evidence as a youthful Reds side battled to a 5-3 victory over Young Boys in the Europa League on Thursday, a result which pleased the manager.

He said: "It was a fantastic result for us last night. The performance level was actually very good. We're disappointed with the goals that we conceded, of course. I think once we get the individual mistakes out of our game then we're going to be even stronger.

"But it was a really positive night, the majority of the senior players were fantastic and the support of the young players was terrific. To go away in a European competition and score five goals and win was very, very pleasing."

The win in Switzerland provided a timely boost ahead of United's visit, but the boss has never been concerned by a lack of confidence and is relishing Sunday's clash.

He concluded: "The confidence is fine. I see the players every day on the field, working with them as individuals and as a group. Their quality is undoubted, absolutely undoubted.

"There's no doubt since I've come into here, there have been a couple of adjustments that the players have had to make in terms of what I ask, in terms of looking to control and dominate games.

"In terms of their output and what they've given, it's been fantastic. As the season goes on, we will get better and better and better.

"I'm looking forward to the game because it's a real good test - Manchester United are a terrific side. My players will be really looking forward to it, as will I."

[Cormack74]

He's talking again......you can't stop him !

Could do without the 'Sir Alex' all the same...........'Alex' would be OK, 'Ferguson' would be better

Or Fergie as Kenny always called him

[vonk]

Side story....I was best man at my mates wedding in Iceland a couple of months ago. He's a massive united fan, but his dad, his wife, as well as most of his friends are Reds. They got to choose a song each for their vows. She chose some Icelandic thing. You can imagine our shock when his choice was "You'll never walk alone" in tribute to his new wife. Thought it was a nice touch.

[elrichio86]

This weekends game is a unique opportunity for the two clubs to get past the nastiness that has been building between the respective fan-bases over the past few years.