Eyakoowa On The Sport: Is Liverpool Having A Better Season Than Manchester United So Far?

There is a big game coming our way this weekend. It might as well just decide who will finish second in the English League this year. Its a long time rivalry reignited by the two most successful clubs in England – Manchester United Plays Liverpool this weekend.

Following their decimal performance and narrow win over Crystal Palace I posted on my social media that it was gullible to conclude that Liverpool were having a better season than United on the basis that they have won slightly more convincingly.

My colleague and sports journalist Derrick was quick to tell me I was wrong. His argument

“Liverpool have been shambles for the last decade ever since RAFA Benitez left. They have played “sunday league football” (except that suarez miraculous season). They let go of their best player in coutinho But are in those automatic UCL spots. Definitely a good season for them.. Knowing they have a pathetic defense and a diabolical goalkeeping situation! On the flip side, lets look at United:
U signed Lukaku an assured 25 goal season striker Then u signed, Matic to “free up” the Paul Pogba who u broke the world transfer record fee for! Then u signed that pianist from arsenal And u want to convince us you are having a good season”

Before I analyse his arguments let me place his comments in perspective. My good friend Derick is very knowledgeable about sports and the English soccer in particular. He is also a Chelsea fan.

Let me start with putting away the trivialities a side so we concentrate on the big issue. Its true that Benitez won a champions’ league with Pool but Liverpool has not been consistent since before you were actually born! Having last won the English league in 1989/90 Season.

My friend also countinues to assert that you can not say United is not having a catastrophe of a season seeing as it is they are a distant 15 points shy of run away title winners in waiting – Manchester City.

Of course I am going to be sober enough not to try comparing a sublime Manchester City side with Manchester United. That would be treason! My attempt will be with Liverpool who are themselves 17 points away and 2 worse than Manchester United.

Excuses aside.

Every time someone is doing worse they look for consoling excuses. Arsenal has been good at this game for long and Derrick attempts to create some to justify his conclusion that United are worse than Liverpool.

The excuse is that United spent a lot of money in the market and Liverpool sold their best player. Allow me state that Liverpool were never Kidnapped and held at a Ransom to sell.

Since the arrival of manager Jürgen Klopp at liverpool he has brought in 13 players for £232,900,000 compared to Only 7 that Jose Mourinho has bought.

Yes United chose to spend on Pogba but if you remove the money they paid for Pogba which by the way they earned back in shirt sales in just under 3 months Liverpool would have spent coin for coin with United?  United spends on a few players, Liverpool spends on anything out of Southampton.

Secondly Liverpool is not in dare financial crisis that they couldn’t buy they chose to buy who they bought – The entire Southampton team. We are not going to lament over the decisions they have OPTED to take.

Its true that United opted for a different path – to buy while Liverpool chose to spend on a full basket of middle rate players and save. That is their business strategy and where the story Ends. After that we can only discuss what is on the pitch and NOT the emotional part of how the two chose to trade.

Least I forget let me also add that Liverpool Just like United are still in contention to go past the huddle of the group of 16 in the Champion’s League. Non of the two is out of UCL as it is!

Of course my friend Derrick deliberately mentions that United are advantaged to have signed Lukaku who wrecks in goals BUT he deliberately refuses to mention that Liverpool themselves signed the most valuable signing in the EPL in Mo Salah. The small Egyptian is a weapon as good, most times better and a no doubt more lethal than Lukaku.

Now The Fact

This free scoring Liverpool side is still 2 points (The best they have had after any match day this season) bellow United and has struggled all season to catch up with United having previously been in fifth place for long spells!

Derrick blames their place on how bad their Defense has been and Goal keepers. Let me agree that their defense and Goalkeepers have been annoyingly horrendous but United had and still has a very basic defense. Smalling, Johns and Lindlof have at best been pedestrian.

But even if I looked at Liverpool in isolation, Pool may not use its weak departments as an excuse because we did not force that defense on to them. They, in their wise decision, decided to go into a season with Them! Who gave Liverpool their Goal keepers? So when their keepers are being idiotic is that even proof that their team is better than United?

That’s akin to saying Arsenal’s problem is Injuries and arguing that If all their first team was available they would win a trophy. You are just dwelling on the symptom. The plain cause of their misery is they have a thin squad. We all get injuries but they affect thin sides more PERIOD!

Liverpool had made serious errors in the market over the years buying very basic players who can not be depended upon to offer consistently. They turn up this week and switch off the next one.

Of course I know what is fooling you all. You simply think that the team that scores more flawlessly is having a better season regardless of the final result. Liverpool scores 4 and draws. United scores 1 and wins. That is the difference.

If you want to win a league you must learn to win games consistently. You must win when you score in number and also win when you score a single goal. Liverpool just looses out of no where and that is why they have been scoring with abandon yet continue to stay below United.

If you asked me, Liverpool play more entertaining football but they are further from winning a trophy than United is.

Let me conclude with a challenge my other friend Joshua gave me. by the end of this week the all out to score team in Liverpool will be 5 points below what most of you believe is a bad Manchester United.

I remain Eyakoowa and I would love to hear your feedback in the comment section. Cheers.