Liverpool have turned tables on United, admits embattled Moyes

David Moyes admits Liverpool are favourites to beat his Manchester United side tomorrow.

After a six-month break, hostilities between United and arguably their biggest foes return this weekend and Moyes knows victory would give him the boost he needs going into the home straight of what has been a difficult season.

This time last year United were atop the Premier League, 26 points ahead of Liverpool. But the tables have turned since last summer and it is Liverpool who now lead their rivals by 11 points.

Whether Moyes was trying to take the pressure off his players or not when he addressed the media yesterday is open to interpretation, but the table could not paint a clearer picture of how this season has gone.

“It may well be [accurate to say Liverpool are favourites],” the Manchester United manager said.

“Their league position suggests they’re ahead of us. They possibly do come here favourites.”

Moyes may have only been at Old Trafford since last summer, but he has already had two tastes of what it is like to manage Manchester United against Liverpool.

Moyes was defeated at Anfield at the start of September but three weeks later the Scot had his revenge, although the 1-0 win did come in the Capital One Cup.

This weekend’s game has much more riding it on it, giving extra spice to what Moyes concedes is an even bigger fixture in the English calendar than the Merseyside derby he saw at close quarters for over a decade as Everton manager.

“I think it is [the biggest game in the country],” Moyes said.

“There has been great history between the two clubs over a long period. It is the biggest rivalry certainly on our shores. Maybe the Celtic-Rangers game would come close to it, but I think this is the biggest game so winning would be a big boost. It would be an important three points.”

United have struggled to find their rhythm and realistically need to win all their matches from now until the end of the season to have any chance of making the top four.

But Moyes has enjoyed a successful fortnight off the pitch, signing Wayne Rooney up to a new contract while also hearing of Robin van Persie’s desire to extend his current deal with the club.

“I’ve been telling you that [that Van Persie’s staying] but you’ve wanted to say or write something different to what I’ve been saying,” said Moyes.

“He is happy here and we are very pleased about that.”

The club-record signing of Juan Mata has also lifted spirits and Moyes believes all the pieces of the jigsaw are finally coming together.

“There is a spring in the players’ step,” Moyes said.

“If you take the Olympiacos game out of it, in the last three to five weeks I think we have played very well, we have had some very good results. The confidence has grown and I think we are beginning to go in the right direction.”

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers can empathise with Moyes as he has first-hand experience of what it means to replace a club icon.

Rodgers faced a similar task when he took over from Kenny Dalglish in the summer of 2012. After a shaky first six months Rodgers has come out the other side with a team in such a good shape they are in contention for the title, having finished seventh last season.

“I have empathy for the pressures which come with taking over such a huge club. It is incomparable the states of the two clubs because they were champions, there are serial winners in there, and when I came to this club they were eighth.

“The rebuilding and remodelling of the two clubs was totally different. David will be fine there and will get it right... he will have learned a lot this season and will kick on.”