Ferguson Left Speechless After the Match

This piece of news should be of special interest to all Liverpool Fans:

"Just because Fergie doesnae speak after games, I'm no going to spend twice as long talking to you." Kenny Dalglish was smiling when he said that in his press conference yesterday and with the music from the home dressing room drifting down the corridors of Anfield it felt a bit like there was a party on.

It had seemed the same during the game when, with Liverpool three goals ahead, the Kop serenaded Dalglish with Happy Birthday – he was 60 on Friday – and the Liverpool manager smiled and waved. Yes, it was a party all right, a party at which Sir Alex Ferguson was figuratively sitting in the corner with no drink and no one to talk to.

This was a Manchester United performance with few redeeming features save a brief rally in the first 15 minutes after half-time when they were already two goals behind. Other than that they looked as limp as they had done in the second half of their defeat to Chelsea five days earlier. For months United had looked like the one consistently average team in a below-average league season and consequently the title favourites. Suddenly they are struggling even to be average.

Their two consecutive Premier League defeats have rammed home some uncomfortable truths about this United team which, in spite of that run of 29 league games undefeated, is now starting to list badly. Dalglish's team are far from perfect but, in the likes of Luis Suarez and the hat-trick man Dirk Kuyt, his players had a much more profound effect on the game than Ferguson's leading men.

For Wayne Rooney it was another afternoon on which he toiled hard, and was forced out to the left following Nani's injury, for precious little reward. United were let down in defence where only Chris Smalling had a decent game and then in midfield where Michael Carrick failed to offer the leadership qualities that have so often eluded him.

As a result Ferguson and his staff and players left Anfield without speaking. What Ferguson made of it all we can only guess but it would be no leap of the imagination to say he was not happy. Even the unquestioning loyalty of MUTV went unrewarded in the ensuing Ferguson-initiated media black-out.

With the Football Association charge of improper conduct hanging over him, he will not have wanted to risk giving his opinion on Jamie Carragher's studs-up tackle on Nani before half-time. It was a red-card offence, no question, and Nani played no further part. Carragher escaped with a booking. The Manchester United chief executive, David Gill, had words with the referees' chief Mike Riley at half-time.

Well, what else can you say, Ferguson was just being Ferguson! An old man going senile who, like some of his players, do not know when to retire!