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Day: 20 January 2017

MUFC Ratings: Manchester United vs Liverpool

Written by Magnus Henderson on . Posted in Sport.

The faceoff between two of the most historically successful clubs in England was always going to attract attention. This time, however, both Manchester United and Liverpool are just a few steps away from getting back to their ‘historic’ best. Going into the fixture, United boasted a nine match winning streak in all competitions while Liverpool, despite faltering recently, looked daunting up in third place. Although, with this rivalry, form really does mean nothing. In the 80’s, the Red side from Manchester often stole points off the Scousers, while they repaid that favour in the 90’s, despite not being as strong.

Jose Mourinho, after rotating his side for Reading and Hull City, reverted back to his strongest starting eleven from the past two months. From a tactical point of view, however, Jürgen Klopp had done his homework. The German knew that if he targeted his ‘gegenpressing’ on Michael Carrick’s distribution then he could cut off United’s counter attacks before they began. This worked effectively for Liverpool, and they subsequently dictated the tempo for much of the first half.

When Paul Pogba was pressured into handling the ball inside the area, the ever reliable James Milner dispatched his

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penalty confidently and gave Liverpool the advantage heading into the break. Mourinho sent on Wayne Rooney, chasing a record-breaking 250th goal, for Carrick in the second half to ‘reverse the pyramid’ of United’s midfield and counter Liverpool’s high press. The Portuguese’s in-game management switched the momentum of the game back into the Red Devil’s favour, and Mourinho’s men managed to dominate the chances and territory for the rest of the game.

United managed to scrape one goal back, courtesy of a smartly cushioned Zlatan Ibrahimović header, but could not break through Liverpool’s deep defensive line for a second time. A 1-1 result was a fair reflection on both teams and will probably be accepted by both teams’ fans at this stage in the season. United still have a long way to go if they want to disrupt the current teams in Champions League positions, while Liverpool slipped further behind the rampant Chelsea in their bid for the title.

 

Player Ratings

GK: David De Gea: 8

Was called upon too many times for comfort, commanded his penalty area with real authority, and made some very good saves in both halves. His distribution, in particular, was fantastic as his kicks and throws were often at the beginning of promising United counter attacks.

RB: Antonio Valencia: 8

One of only a few United players who could walk away with full confidence that they had put in a shift. Very solid defensively against the rotating forwards that he faced. Valencia made the joint most tackles of any defender on the pitch (3) and was one of United’s most dangerous attacking outlets. His cross to Ibrahimović for the equaliser exhibited his smart offensive positioning and composure. The Ecuadorian has deserved his contract extensive for his sublime consistency this season.

RCB: Phil Jones: 7

A very decent game from the player who was so close to leaving the club last summer. Jones has showed consistency this season, however, the ex-Blackburn Rovers defender showed that he is not completely dependable yet. His loss of concentration in the 25th minute led to Liverpool’s corner which soon after became a penalty. Other than that, Jones won the second most aerial duels of any player on the pitch (7) whilst putting in two tackles and three interceptions along the way.

LCB: Marcos Rojo: 7

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It feels slightly uncomfortable to type this but Rojo was a much needed addition to the first team against Liverpool. His no-nonsense style helped United out of a few sticky situations, making a gigantic twelve clearances in the process. The Argentine looks more composed on the ball than he ever has before, which helped United play out of Liverpool’s aggressive pressing.

LB: Matteo Darmian: 7

Looked reasonably comfortable defensively but struggled to support Antony Martial effectively at the opposite end of the pitch. His reluctance to overlap with penetrative runs often means that United switch the play to Valencia, who can make those direct runs. With Luke Shaw set for another chance at the left back position, it looks unlikely that Darmian will be as depended upon as he has been for the previous two months.

CDM: Michael Carrick: 5

Really struggled in his regista role against Liverpool’s ‘gegenpressing’. His pace and inability to shift the ball quickly saw him dispossessed a dangerous amount of times, which led to his subsequent substitution for Wayne Rooney at half time. The Geordie excels when he has more time on the ball, something Mourinho will have to remember the next time United face a high pressure opposition.

RCM: Ander Herrera: 8

Like Valencia, Herrera has become one of Mourinho’s dependable men, along with Zlatan and Pogba. His dynamism and industry in the middle helped paper over the horror show performances of Pogba and Carrick. Made the joint most tackles of anyone on the pitch (5) and the joint most interceptions (4). At the opposite end of the pitch the Spaniard played a good ball into Henrikh Mkhitaryan just before half time which should have led to a United equaliser.

LCM: Paul Pogba: 4

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A shadow of the figure who strutted over Old Trafford so confidently over the last two months. Had the worst pass accuracy of any United player at 71%, was dispossessed a further three times on top of that and gave away the penalty with a needless handball. Completed zero dribbles and zero key passes, which is very unlike the Frenchman. Pogba, and his fans, will be hoping this was a one-off with his haircut now being paraded around the Old Trafford advertisement boards like a new global sponsor.

RM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan: 6

A very ‘meh’ game from the Armenian who tore Tottenham Hotspurs apart just over a month ago. While his direct running and subtle movement created plenty of attacking opportunities, his sloppiness often let him down. Should have scored at the end of the first half and was moved to an auxiliary left back role during the second half, where, surprisingly, he looked his most effective. Was dispossessed the joint most of anyone on the pitch (6).

LM: Antony Martial: 6

Like Mkhitaryan, Martial had an up and down game. Started very brightly with his weaving runs but ran out of ideas very quickly when his dribbles were not coming off. Made a hospital pass in the 25th minute which very nearly put United in a deep hole. Was hauled off by Mourinho at the hour mark for the more insightful Juan Mata.

ST: Zlatan Ibrahimović: 7

While Ibra’s lack of movement can be infuriating at times, his genius is subtle, as shown again against Liverpool. Almost scored from a bullet free kick in the 32nd minute and managed to grasp United’s equaliser with a stooping header of underrated difficultly.

 

Subs

Wayne Rooney: 6

Added more steel to United’s attacking link-up play and got involved from the get-go. Missed a few half chances but put in a very good cross for Fellaini to head against the post. Still looks unlikely to be a regular starter for the Red Devils.

Juan Mata: 6

Came on a drifted around seamlessly, picking good forward passes to Ibrahimović and Rooney. Was unable to add the touch of quality which United needed to steal all three points.

Marouane Fellaini: N/A

Sent on as Mourinho’s favourite ‘hoofball’ option, and actually worked wonders. His header which came back off the upright led to Ibrahimović tucking away the equaliser. His physicality and presence gave United the edge in the final 15 minutes.

 

Stop crying Hitler

Written by David Moseley on . Posted in Opinion.

Did you know that Adolf Hitler and Barack Obama bear striking similarities to one another? It may sound like an indulgence of the far reaches of online conservatism, but there are a number of not unsubstantial reasons for comparing the two.

According to nowtheendbegins.com, there are 13 pretty convincing ones. To pick a few, both have (supposedly) used domestic terrorists to launch their careers, had ghost-written autobiographies, held outdoor rallies, were exemplary orators, and were males with hair.

These are genuine ‘similarities’ listed on Now the End Begins — apart from their strikingly identical gender and presence of hair, which I added because they are as insane as the rest of the evidence for comparing the two political figures. It may be surprising that Obama, frequently hailed as a moderate, has been likened to the poster-boy for evil incarnate, but no figure is above being compared to Hitler.

Donald Trump, too, in the wake of being elected to the US presidency, has been the subject of comparisons to the dictator, on account of his appeal to economic insecurities, dubious racial views, contempt for the ruling elites, and his status as a political ‘outsider’. The comparisons certainly seem well substantiated. And both are men with hair (we assume).

In addition, neither Trump nor Obama are the first politicians to have been compared to Hitler. Hitler Tourette’s syndrome predates the internet. Joe McCarthy, Lyndon Johnson, Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt have all in their time faced such an appraisal, and no doubt many others have fallen foul of the Hitler comparison brigade.

During the early days of internet forums, a principle was formulated by American attorney Mike Godwin: the now infamous Godwin’s Law. (If you search ‘Hitler comparison’ in Google you are likely to come across related searches for Godwin’s Law.) According to this ‘law’, “as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Hitler approaches”, regardless of scope or topic.

Although this principle is intended as a humorous dig at the way internet discussions often deteriorate into the rashest of arguments, it has a serious point, as Mike Godwin himself has commented: “I wanted folks who glibly compared someone else to Hitler or to Nazis to think a bit harder about the Holocaust.” It is often the case that a Hitler comparison is used to detract from the actual issue at hand. If you’re wondering if there is a “Hitler Downfall” parody for this kind of logic, you would be right. It involves Hitler ranting about the fact that he is history’s go-to baddie, at the expense of rational debate.

Aside from the fact that the ‘Trump as Nazi’ trope or ‘Obama is Hitler’ accusations are often rationally unfounded, they also represent a profound laziness. This kind of ‘reasoning’ is normally invoked on the whim of a person without serious consideration. Many, particularly in Germany according to the Washington Post, consider Hitler comparisons “as the end of a serious factual conversation, and the beginning of an ideological mud-bath”.

And besides, plastering associations with Hitler across movements and individuals we dislike diminishes the tragedy of the Third Reich, the Holocaust, and the Second World War. It is all too easy to reach for the archetypal, murderously authoritarian government without taking into account the sensitivities of those affected by such events. It borders on callous to invoke one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th Century for the purposes of one’s own argument, if that argument is not properly thought through. We must not forget that Adolf Hitler established a government which ordered the systematic extermination of at least six million of its own citizens — a far leap from the actions or proposals of Obama and Trump.

Not only does such reactionary comparison cheapen the tragedy of the Third Reich, it also undermines the potential for  well grounded comparisons. In a satirical piece on the New Yorker, Susanna Wolff mocked the frequency with which we jump to the Nazi comparison in the fable of The Boy Who Cried Nazi. Perhaps there is valid reason to invoke Nazism, but the force of the word has all but lost its punch.

Should a comparison to a dictatorial and murderous regime be in order, there are, unfortunately, plenty of examples in recent history. The Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin, Mao’s China and the Cultural Revolution, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. In short, latching onto Hitler as the ‘model’ of this kind of tragedy shows not that one has made an astute historical comparison — rather, that a person is too lazy to take into account other occurrences of a similar nature.

Whilst likening the rise of the President to Hitler may be alluring, it comes with a host of pitfalls, from over-simplification of the past to historical insensitivity to the downright absurd. It is not always wrong to compare epochs, and there is indeed much to be learned from the patterns of the history. However, we must be careful not to allow “crying Hitler” to be our knee-jerk response to political figures with whom we disagree.