VIEW FROM THE PRESSBOX - INDEPENDENT

Last updated : 02 December 2002 By editor

From The Independent:

‘Shortly after kick-off the clouds cleared to reveal a beautiful blue sky over Anfield, but one shadow remained over the north-west throughout yesterday afternoon.

That was the long one cast by Arsenal and, to judge from the error-strewn fare Liverpool and Manchester United produced, these historic rivals will remain in the champions' shade until May.

Although a calamitous error by Jerzy Dudek and two goals by the once-pilloried Diego Forlan were the focus of short-term attention, the poverty of passing, the absence of imagination and the failure of courage all suggested the Premiership pennant will be raised again at Highbury.

Failure of courage? There was no lack of physical bravery. Gary Neville exemplified the valour required for this fixture with a bloodied display which did much to atone for his nightmare at Maine Road. But few players had the courage to dwell on the ball and wait for the moment, to look for the telling ball, to make the space to make the difference.

Afterwards, Sir Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports (which has a significant shareholding in the club) "this was Manchester United at its best". Since he refuses to speak to the written press, this ridiculous assertion went unquestioned.

Not that United, despite the limitations of this performance, can be dismissed. Judgement must wait for the injured players to come back. The loss of Juan Sebastian Veron and Laurent Blanc may be more serious on paper than in reality but any team, however well resourced, would feel the absence of such luminaries as Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham and Nicky Butt. In addition, victories breed confidence which frees players from fear and, after Forlan tapped in Dudek's fumble, they briefly revived memories of their salad days with some neat passing. Forlan scored again in this period but, after Sami Hyypia's goal inspired a late Liverpool rally, United's survival owed more to cussedness than class.

This fixture last season resulted in a comprehensive victory for Liverpool which left everyone, Ferguson included, questioning United's future. It now appears that that match did not signal a shift in power, at least not in Liverpool's direction. For all Gérard Houllier's spouting of statistics, detailing shots and goals, they lack the je nais sais quoi which makes Arsenal so easy on the eye. The suspicion is that Houllier, unlike Arsène Wenger and Ferguson, is essentially conservative.’