Graeme Souness has claimed that Liverpool would hypothetically only take one player from Manchester United’s current squad to add to their strongest starting XI.
The two eternal rivals renew their rivalry at Anfield on Sunday, with the home side 10 points clear of the Red Devils in the Premier League table and many people’s favourites to widen that gap further by 6:30pm tomorrow.
In his latest column for the Daily Mail, the former Reds captain and manager stated his belief that LFC will post yet another win over Erik ten Hag’s side, on the basis that Jurgen Klopp has the better players at his disposal.
Souness wrote: “It might not be 7-0 on Sunday, but I’m convinced once again that Liverpool will beat Manchester United. Why? Because they have the better players in every position.
“Tell me, who would Liverpool take from Man United? Bruno Fernandes, perhaps. I think he would be a star in Liverpool’s team, because he has all the qualities you need to be a top player. Right now, however, there is something missing from his game.
“That is why, from the 22 who line up at kick-off, I’d say the best 11 players will all be in the red of the home team.”
As we’re sure you know by now, Fernandes won’t be in United’s line-up at Anfield due to the one-match suspension he must serve for accumulating five Premier League yellow cards this season in last weekend’s 3-0 humbling by Bournemouth.
The Red Devils captain has been castigated for getting himself banned for tomorrow’s fixture, with many pundits questioning whether the Portuguese midfielder is the right fit for the armband at Old Trafford.
The 29-year-old’s quality as a footballer is beyond dispute, with 128 goal contributions in 208 matches for his current club an indicator of his ability to consistently make a difference to the team (Transfermarkt).
However, for all Fernandes’ talent, his on-field demeanour leaves a lot to be desired. Would Liverpool fans really want to have a player at Anfield who constantly moans at teammates and referees in a comical fashion?
It was telling that, following United’s 7-0 thrashing by the Reds last season, Gary Neville branded the midfielder’s body language as ’embarrassing’ and ‘a disgrace’, even accusing him of asking him to be substituted amid the tidal wave of goals in front of an exultant Kop (Sky Sports).
The Old Trafford captain simply wouldn’t be the right fit for Klopp’s LFC, no matter how gifted he might be or how many goal contributions he might rack up. Besides, we already have a world-class number 8 in Dominik Szoboszlai.
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