Following Liverpool’s 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Anfield on Tuesday night, Rio Ferdinand has been recounting his memories of the fixture and highlighted one incident involving ex-Red Fernando Torres.
The BT Sport pundit explained that there was ‘never an easy game’ at L4 and revisited one of the times the former No. 9 left him needing stitches at halftime.
“They were never easy games. Never, ever, ever, ever an easy game, always tough games,” he told his YouTube channel, FIVE (via Rousing The Kop).
“They (Liverpool) didn’t lack heart, they didn’t lack belief, they didn’t lack desire, didn’t lack the reaction of if they went a goal down, they’d fight. We never went to Liverpool and had an easy game and walked off and went you know what, cigar. Never, never! Because they made us work for it, minimum.”
“The balls at the other end and you’ve got Torres stamping on your foot, having to have stitches at half-time because your foot’s pouring with blood because they’re doing anything and everything to get an inch.”
The fixture is certainly one of, if not the biggest fixture in English football and no matter where either side are in the league or what is at stake, there is a real edge to each meeting.
It was great to see us almost toying with Ralf Rangnick’s side during the game and we absolutely schooled them – much to the annoyance of ex-United man Ferdinand.
When he was playing for the Red Devils, they often had superiority over us as they dominated English football for a period.
The tables have very much turned now, though.
This will be United’s fifth straight season without a trophy whilst us and the other Manchester club, City, have tore English football apart.
Long may it continue!
#Ep44 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: UEFA failing fans, will we blow away Everton?… and more! 🎙️