Quadruple dreams over as wasteful Reds crumble at the “Theatre of Dreams”
Manchester United 4 Liverpool 3, 17th March 2024.
MAN UNITED 4 (McTominay 10, Antony 87, Rashford 112, Diallo 120+2)
LIVERPOOL 3 (Mac Allister 44, Salah 45+2, Elliott 105)
Watching today’s “Titanic Tussle”, for there is no other sporting cliche worthy of the name to describe today’s incredible game, and incredibly painful final result, I had formulated a hundred story through lines in my mind and nearly as many eye grabbing headlines too. Manchester United were far stronger, more physical and quicker to second or loose balls during a first half they largely dominated yet they still trailed at the break to a Liverpool team who improved so much through the first 45 minutes that at the break in play they were now thoroughly dominating a tired looking home team. Scott McTominay’s early goal had been equalised and bettered in just 3 late first half minutes and although goal scorers Alexis Mac Allister and Mo Salah will receive the statistical credit, the Reds in their Green and White quartered shirts were indebted to a majestic first 45 minutes from Hungarian national captain Dominik Szoboszlai and a 70 minute headline writer’s dream of a performance.
Writing this through the prism of my Red Liverpool supporting eyes, even those from our footballing cousins down the East Lancs Road will surely admit that their team were a beaten mess throughout the entirety of a second half of football that was almost perfection from their visitors. Liverpool had supreme dominance of the game at 2–1 as to serenely stroke the ball around Old Trafford with the air of an unbeatable team with an opponent on the ropes awaiting a final knock-out. Darwin Núñez was twice denied by André Onana at his near post on 47 and 62 minutes and as ex England international Lee Dixon admitted on TV co-commentary that he was “tired just watching this!”, Szoboszlai was brilliantly thwarted by a full length sprawling save from Onana on 55 minutes, Salah prevented a second goal on 65 minutes after a magical turn and run from Luis Díaz before the Colombian magician himself was denied on 86 minutes after a flowing team move from one end of this storied football ground to the other. Even after Manchester United equalised through their first shot on target on the Reds goal in the second half a minute later, Harvey Elliott promptly rattled the far post with Onana beaten a minute later still. Then, with not only the knock-out blow failing to land from a wasteful Liverpool who spurned two “overloads” when breaking on a stretched and ragged United midfield and two gift-wrapped opportunities to make the score 3–1 and their passage into the Semi-Finals of the FA Cup safely assured, Marcus Rashford missed the chance of the game with the final kick of normal time when he simply had to score, and we all settled in for extra-time and yet more stories to be told and headlines to be written.
"Chasing the Impossible and a Sword of Damocles" - Available via Amazon
In truth there was only team winning this cup-tie in the extra period of 30 minutes yet that very team still trailed, again, at the break in play in extra-time. Harvey Elliott’s deflected goal right on the cusp of half-time in extra-time flattered Liverpool, being as it was the only effort they mustered on target in the entirety of this extra energy sapping period of play. Antony, one of many substitutes today who changed the course of this game with his late equaliser in normal time, went close on 92 minutes before Victor Lindelöf galloped forward from nowhere to screw a fierce shot into the side netting on 100 minutes as United had found a second wind to dominate the game once more, yet Elliott’s deflected goal saw the Reds heading to Wembley with 15 minutes of this incredible game to play. Elliott’s seeming winning goal came from a throw-in and from exactly the same spot on the far touchline of the field came United’s second equaliser 7 minutes later. A thoughtless inside pass from Darwin Núñez went astray, Scott McTominay picked up the footballing pieces, and Marcus Rashford levelled affairs with 8 minutes remaining. A Liverpool corner led the game’s final dramatic goal and with a tired and stretched Reds on the attack seeking a last gasp winning goal, substitute Amad Diallo ran clear of a ragged defence to send the home team Devils dressed in Red through to Wembley, a date with Coventry City in April and an almost nailed on certainty of an all Manchester FA Cup Final come May.
I have no need to be balanced here yet I nearly always am and regardless of the opponent to the “Unbearables” of my Mighty Red Liverpool heart. I leave the bitterness of this gigantic north west rivalry to others. My dear old Mum supported the Manchester United of Alex Stepney and Gary Bailey, Paul McGrath and Bryan Robson, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo, yet in a time of Remi Moses and Martin Buchan she steered me towards the one true Red faith of Liverpool, and they were beaten today and got what they deserved: Nothing. Tough pill to swallow, but rather than delivering the knock-out blow during a perfect second half of football the departure of Dominik Szoboszlai saw their hosts squeeze back into a game they were thoroughly outplayed in.
From thereon in it was all United, and the absurd dreams of a quadruple tossed and blown in the wind and rain of Manchester.
Walk on.
A final word from The Boss
“Obviously today was on and above the edge, it was really tough for us with the 130 or whatever minutes. United had the clear best start, it was obvious, they scored the early goal. We had to organise ourselves a little bit better, we struggled with the man-marking, didn’t play enough, all these kinds of things. In the moment when we found for the first time a way to play then we get rhythm and then it looked really good. Then we were absolutely deserved 2–1 up. And second half was exceptional, absolutely exceptional what we played here”.
“But we didn’t finish the game off and when you leave the door open away from home at Old Trafford, it’s clear they will get chances. They could score the equaliser and Marcus big chance at the end of normal time, so they can win it there. I see that, it’s clear. Then it got really hard for us, then it was really hard for us. That was now the first time that I really saw my team struggling, that’s how it is. We played a lot of football recently”.
“Then we go 3–2 up, all good. Then they score, 3–3, 4–3. Come on, easily can accept that, congratulations to United, they fought extremely hard as well. That’s how it is, you want to go to the semi-finals. I think everybody who saw the game today saw two teams who both understood the importance of the occasion and the competition. We tried absolutely everything. Today we didn’t get a lot for it, not to say nothing”.
Thanks for reading. I pen my thoughts on every Liverpool game with well over 180 articles past and present filling my archive here. Alternatively, here are my three most recently published articles on the team I adore:
"Raining goals at Anfield as Reds stroll into last 8 of the Europa League"
"Honours even in the “chaos” of Anfield"
"All I Want For Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit"