Liverpool are making an unusual move before facing their biggest rivals: they talk so much about Manchester United that you could be forgiven for thinking they have a stake in Ineos.
Jurgen Klopp has warned that harsh criticism of Erik ten Hag’s team makes them more dangerous; Goalkeeper Alisson Becker said he expected ‘fire’ from United players who wanted to avenge last season’s 7-0 defeat at Anfield.
Given the recent form of Ten Hag’s side, it could be a spark of life for experienced Old Trafford analysts. This reflects the current situation at the club, which sees Klopp and his players proactively challenging assumptions that March’s attack would be repeated. Liverpool’s fear, it seems, is that a wider view that the lambs are out for another slaughter will leave them vulnerable to a violent UK response.
When asked how United would react to his position, Alisson spoke from bitter experience:
“I would burn and try to set my teammates on fire,” said Brazil’s number 1.
“As a football player, as an elite athlete, you will try to use that to motivate yourself. I don’t know much about Manchester United players so I don’t know what they will do but I’m sure they will come here and try to get results from us. We focused on getting three points.
“For us, this game is in the past. It’s good for the fans to talk about it and remember it, but we have a different team now and we’re in a different moment.”
Alisson was Anfield’s opponent in the 2018 Champions League semi-final, where Roma were beaten 5-2, and he remembers counting down the days to make amends.
“I lost that game and it wasn’t a good experience but it’s the kind of game you want to play. Players from Liverpool FC, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City are players who should enjoy playing that type of game. I enjoy it a lot when we play against big rivals .”
Alisson’s encouraging words don’t stop there, as he expresses his sympathy for rival player Andre Onana, whose constant mistakes have been particularly costly given United’s elimination from Europe.
“He’s a really good goalkeeper,” Alisson said. “The Champions League he played in last season was amazing.”
So why bother? Alisson suggested looking beyond the individual.
“I was lucky to come to a team where everything was already going differently; “This was construction,” he said.
“He’s got to be patient, he’s got to do the best he can with everything that’s going on in his life, and I think he’s someone who needs everyone’s support right now, so I think he’ll get it. That’s where he is.”
“I experienced something similar to what he experienced; I’m coming from an Italian club to England, to a big club for a lot of money. There’s a lot of responsibility on these shoulders, and he came here with the responsibility of taking his place. [David] Maybe De Gea wasn’t in the best form of his career, but he was still successful.
“He did a lot of good things for Manchester United and played a lot of games for Manchester United and [to replace that] It is a big step in your career. I think he can take on that responsibility, but sometimes it takes some people longer than others. You change your team, you change your league. Them [United] “They’re trying to fit in and discover themselves, and that can affect you a lot.”
While Onana looks to prove himself, Alisson is a key reason why Liverpool are at the top; His save percentage is the highest in the Premier League, with the belief that he is getting better.
“Yes, maybe if the numbers speak for themselves,” he said. “I feel in good shape, in good shape, I try to improve as much as I can every year.
“I started playing [first-team] For a goalkeeper, I play football at a young age, I am 21 or 22 years old, so I have already been playing in the posts for 10 years. That’s a long time, but I’m still young for a goalkeeper. When you look at goalkeepers now, they play until they are 38, 39 years old and sometimes they go above that.
“I think I’m reaching the highest point of my career now, combining physicality, experience and a great desire to continue to do good and continue to improve.”
United fans are preoccupied with the question of which team will be at Anfield; A game that impressed Chelsea or lost 3-0 to Bournemouth and exited the Champions League meekly.
But it somehow went unnoticed that Liverpool were also inconsistent, with their perfect home record camouflaging tough away days. Three years ago, the victory over United in January and Alisson’s assist to Mohamed Salah had led to the first Kop rendition of the song ‘We Will Win the League’, a popular belief that the victory popularised.
‘We need to slow down talking about the title’
Alisson is wary of predicting history will repeat itself and is honest about the progress needed to secure comparisons with Klopp’s Premier League winners.
“It was a different time and a different moment for the team,” he said.
“That game was amazing. It sent a message to our fans. The fans felt it too. At that moment we felt as players that we had a great chance to win the league; in that atmosphere we beat Man United, one of your biggest rivals, at home and with my assist we scored goals like Mo’s.” It makes you feel really good and gives you great support.
“Yes, of course, it is nice to remember every special moment. It happened in a big moment for the team and it was a special moment against a special club.
“But I think we’re in a different time now. We want to win consistently.
“We need to slow down our pace but talk about the title race because we are a rebuilding team. Of course we want to win the league, of course we want to beat every opponent.
“But we should always focus on the closest thing we have right now. “We need to do better too, better than what we’re doing now, but I think we’ll get there.”