Sky Sports pundit concerned for former side
Saturday 13 December 2014 10:01, UK
Graeme Souness says Liverpool’s big-name players must start producing the goods, and fast, beginning with this weekend’s huge Premier League showdown with arch-rivals Manchester United.
Brendan Rodgers’ side travel to Old Trafford on Super Sunday languishing in ninth place in the Premier League, seven points adrift of their hosts in third, and in desperate need of a morale-boosting win after their Champions League elimination in midweek.
However, Sky Sports pundit Souness believes it is going to be hard for the Merseysiders to get a result at United, who are on a five-game winning streak.
“One team are getting away with it without playing well, while the other team are not getting away with it and not playing well,” said Souness.
“Manchester United are obviously on a roll - five games, five wins - but you cannot say that they are playing well though. I think back to that first half hour at the Emirates and they could have been 3-0 or 4-0 down against Arsenal, and yet they ended up winning the game.
Liverpool are struggling right now as they are doing two things wrong that means you are not going to win games, conceding silly and soft goals, and not scoring enough goals
“Liverpool, though, are struggling right now as they are doing two things wrong, which means you are not going to win games - conceding silly and soft goals, and not scoring enough goals.
“So that means ultimately you are going to be in trouble. If you are conceding daft goals, it is not just the dropping of points and losing games, it is the confidence which it has on the whole group.”
The former Liverpool player and manager feels that Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford is the time for some of Liverpool’s star men to start shining.
“What you hope as a Liverpool supporter - and certainly what I hope as a Liverpool supporter - is that some of the big players stand up and are counted at the weekend, as going to Old Trafford, even when we were dominant, was never an easy game for Liverpool,” said Souness, who was hoping one Reds player in particular produces his A-game against United.
“Steven Gerrard is the one very special player that Liverpool have got, and he has been for the last 10 years, and time and time again he has got big goals in big games for them,” Souness added. “And even at 34 you would argue that he is still their biggest influence.
“So hopefully that is the same at the weekend and he turns up at Old Trafford and whether it is a free kick, a magic pass, or he fires one in from 25 yards, they need someone to spark their season and he is the most likely one who can do that.”
Meanwhile, the one-time all-action midfielder also thinks that this fixture, featuring the two most successful teams in England, still holds the lustre and appeal from years gone by.
“When I was playing, we were the big team, the team that was winning everything, and Manchester United were always a near miss,” said Souness. “So roles have reversed in that. I know that at that time, Man United treated it as their biggest game, we treated it as our biggest game.
“So I would imagine for the players and management alike it is still the same, this is the biggest game they play. Maybe with the emergence of Man City, it has been shaded a wee bit, put into the background a wee bit, but I think that on the day, it will still be a tasty affair.”
Watch Manchester United v Liverpool live on Sunday, with coverage from Old Trafford starting at 12.30pm on Sky Sports 1HD.
