Hats off to the scousers

Now, like most United fans, I hate the dippers and will slate them whenever I can. But upon returning from Old Trafford after beating them 2-0, I feel like I have to give them a bit of respect.

I’ve been to several United Liverpool games, and usually you’ll hear the Munich songs and the plane impressions. Today was different however. The scousers didn’t sing a single Munich song (if you don’t count the one they started before getting drowned out by the celebrations of Rio’s goal), so well done them.

Actually, come to think of it, they just didn’t sing a single song. Full stop. In fact, they just sat there. We tried to help them along. “Can you hear the scousers sing, cos I can’t hear a fuckin thing… shhhhhh” Usually, this will wind up the opposition enough to sing, but not the scousers today. They sat there in silence. How restrained of them.

Anyway, my praise for them doesn’t end there. A mention has to go to their main man Gerrard. Usually he’ll give us a hard time, something to worry about, and with new boy Evra marking him, we might have had more to worry about today. But no, good old Stevie G decided to cut us some slack, and not show up today. He could see that the rest of his team were playing like shit, and obviously recognised if he decided to take part in the game, Liverpool might have been in with a chance of not being entirely humiliated. Also, he must have heard Fletcher getting quite a bit of stick from United fans in the past, so kindly sat back and let Darren take the limelight and boss the midfield.

My thanks doesn’t end there. Finally, I have to give a mention to Rafa Benitez. Liverpool fans will talk of the “Rafalution” in reference to what he’s achieved with the club. Now, before the game, we might have thought that his tactics which put Liverpool in the bottom half of the table before this fixture were just a clever ploy, luring us in to false sense of security. But nope, Rafa, who again changed their lineup, and again put their best player in a position where he couldn’t do much damage, just wanted the best for us.

I don’t want to get too soppy now over our new friends from Merseyside, but it seems the effort the clubs made before the game to mend the once terrible relationship have worked. Liverpool kindly let us have three points to go top of the league, and have bowed out of the title race. What good pals they are.