Roles reversed as mediocre Liverpool put Rodgers in the firing line

Nine months after David Moyes controversially, and fatally, claimed Liverpool were ‘favourites’ when they visited Old Trafford in March, Manchester United have finally regained their self respect – and some of their lost stature – with a revenge victory that now puts Brendan Rodgers under the microscope instead.

Moyes’ comments in the build-up to that game last season did almost as much as the result – a 3-0 drubbing that seemed to confirm Liverpool as serious title contenders and United as mid-table fodder — to usher in the end of his spell in charge before he had any real chance to make an impact as Alex Ferguson’s replacement.

His words, not surprisingly, were greeted with disbelief not only in Manchester but also on Merseyside where an astonished Rodgers insisted: “I would never say that at Liverpool even if I was bottom of the league”.

Now the boot is on the other foot following the same scoreline, but this time in United’s favour, and a match in which the form of the teams was almost entirely reversed.

The idea that Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, should feel like underdogs on their own patch against any team, let alone Liverpool, would have been completely incongruous during Fergie’s reign; and this result sees Louis van Gaal start, at last, to rebuild the aura of invincibility that once filled Old Trafford.

Moyes, of course, didn’t learn his lesson. Just nine days after losing to Liverpool he claimed United ‘aspired’ to be like neighbours Manchester City; a comment that, accompanied by a string of poor results, proved too much for even United’s normally loyal and supportive board as he was put out of his misery.

Since then United’s revival has been slow but steady; and although there remain question marks over the level of their recent performances, and the strength of their squad, goals from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Robin van Persie underlined a truth that Liverpool’s woeful defence, and lack of a standout striker, mean they have thrown away any hope of a Premier League victory in the near future.

As so often in football, the focus remains on the managers of both clubs.

And at least by replacing Moyes with van Gaal, United have found themselves a leader with real stature, a man who knows what is expected of a world-class club and what he should demand of them.

There was no chance of van Gaal describing Liverpool as favourites this time; and in fact even in victory the Dutchman has been consistent this season in insisting performances have not been of a standard he would regard as acceptable for a club of United’s size and history.

That is slowly starting to change. There were signs against Liverpool, particularly in the ruthless nature of their finishing, that United deserve to be third in the table, only five points behind rivals City, and 10 above Liverpool.

It is perhaps fanciful to suggest United are title contenders just yet; but when you consider their performance against Liverpool last March was described as ‘abject’ by some critics, then the transformation is significant.

This time those kind of adjectives could only be reserved for Liverpool, whose alarmingly weak defence – even with Jones in goal instead of Mignolet – had no answer to United’s threat down the flanks, and whose mis-firing attack continued to underachieve as substitute Mario Balotelli made little impact in the second half and Raheem Sterling (who has not scored since September) wasted a string of chances.

Chances, of course, that Luis Suarez would have finished in years gone by.

By contrast, what will encourage United fans, is that at least their club has been able to pull out all the stops to instigate a revival by spending big to ensure the team does not stand still. So talk that it could be years for the club wins a title again is looking increasingly misplaced. Some things, at least, have gone right at Old Trafford. There is no doubt van Gaal is more suited to the hot seat than Moyes, no doubt that the huge money spent in the transfer market has improved the team even if their transfer policy has been somewhat scattergun in its approach, and no doubt that United’s board has the will to continue spending until the team is good enough to challenge again.

Liverpool cannot say the same. They still remain in the second division in the transfer market, and their summer signings have not been of a high enough standard to improve the team; and in fact it is hard to imagine them finding the funds to change that in January, either.

Suddenly Rodgers finds himself in the same situation that David Moyes endured nine months ago; and he may find it just as hard to survive.