It’s almost here, the game of the year in the Premier League, Manchester United at Liverpool FC. This is always a circle the date affair on the calendar, but this time it’s circled, highlighted, starred and drawn with arrows pointing to it.
Match preview material is linked below, and in this post we cover a few news items relating to the big match, covering Marcus Rashford, Sir Alex Ferguson and Paul Pogba. Rashford spoke to the Football Writers’ Association awards, where he was commended with the Tribute Award, due to his efforts in championing the funding of free school lunches for children.
Marcus Rashford is a super hero. He has the power to even make Piers Morgan not come off as a completely deplorable tool. Piers actually looks cool and commendable here. #GGMU #MUFC_FAMILY #MUFC https://t.co/NNRCZxnRyH
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) January 13, 2021
Rashford became an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) last year, for his work in lobbying the government to take action on this cause. He also inspired notorious troll Piers Morgan, yes that Piers Morgan the Trump sycophant and Arsenal supporter, to actually look like the good guy, at least in the exchange above.
Watch the clip above, it’s amazing.
Manchester United at Liverpool FYIs
United Starting XI Prediction: go here
United team news: go here
Liverpool Starting XI Prediction: go here
Liverpool Team News: go here
Odds: Liverpool (-106), United (+250) Draw +270
Kick off: 5:30 pm GMT, Sun. Jan 17
US Viewing Options: sadly and unfortunately, Peacock Premium only, no TV
Sir Alex provided extensive congratulations and kudos.
“I have known him since being a kid of seven years of age, and seen him develop through the ranks of Manchester United into a truly wonderful person,” Fergie said.
“Apart from his football life, what he has achieved in the last few months is quite astonishing, how he has helped the people in need is a truly amazing achievement. Iย would like to congratulate him on that. He has shown to young people in particular there is a different way of dealing with life.
“He has shown great humility, he has shown courage to do what he did, so this achievement is well deserved and should be recognised with what he has done.”
As for Rashford, he gave an extensive interview to the Football Writers Association and he says now is the time for United to win trophies, as they might not have really been ready in recent previous years.
United are yet to win a trophy under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, falling short in four semi-final appearances across three different competitions.
“We have to show we are ready to fight for what we want,” said Rashford. “And what we all want is success.
“We are more ready now than we were two years ago in terms of leaders on the pitch and ready to fight for trophies. We are in the FA Cup and [have] the Premier League left, so we have to try to go and win both of them trophies, and just do our best to continue improving.”
“We are a team which is still improving, we are in a good run of form, so we have to just try to keep focusing on ourselves and do the best we can do. As long as we do that, you walk off the pitch with no regrets.”
Elsewhere, Paul Pogba has surprisingly only faced Liverpool three times, due to the various injuries he’s suffered. He hasnโt featured at Anfield since his very first season back at United.
All three appearances ended in a draw. The Frenchman is fired up, to try and convert the one-point into a three this weekend.
Itโs Liverpool, the neighbors, we know the story,” Pogba said. “When you arrive in Manchester you know the story about Liverpool and Manchester United. We know itโs a big game.
Prediction: Liverpool 2, Manchester United 2
The Reds haven’t lost at Anfield in close to four years, and I don’t expect that to change this weekend. However, this is going to be tightly contested, down to the final whistle. Liverpool’s injury list means that the gap between the two sides has closed, at least for now.
Paul M. Banks runsย The Sports Bank, partnered withย News Now.ย Banks, the author ofย โNo, I Canโt Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,โ has regularly appeared inย WGN,ย Sports Illustrated,ย Chicago Tribuneย andย SB Nation.ย Follow himย onย Twitterย andย Instagram.
