In the heat of the day

“If Liverpool fans verbally attack Patrice Evra on Saturday, does that make them racists?”

Paddy Crerand posed the question a couple of days ago but, smart man, didn’t try to supply an answer. The old midfield maestro still religiously toes the Old Trafford line on most issues but you’d like to think he’d be inclined to give the Liverpool faithful the benefit of the doubt on this one.

More to the point, you’d like to think that, given the sensitivities involved, the Merseysiders would keep their lips zipped every time the French full-back gets on the ball. But, obviously, there’s about as much chance of that happening as there is of the Kop putting You’ll Never Walk Alone in cold storage for a cup clash against their fiercest rivals.