Gary Neville has predicted that Manchester United will not try to out-play Liverpool on Monday – simply survive the ‘blitz’ of the first hour.
Neville and fellow pundit Jamie Carragher have been talking tactics to Sky Sports and both expect United to play long-ball football at Anfield.
Former United right-back Neville said: “Forget style on Monday. I don’t think any United fan, me included, are going there wanting United to go out there and think ‘let’s dominate possession today’.
“I want them to cope __with the first 60 minutes and find a way of dealing __with that. You’re going to Anfield and you’ve got to respect that fact.
“Going long is one way, but I don’t think any United fan on Monday night is expecting style or fashion. They are just expecting to get a result. This is a game where you just go and get a result.
“It feels to me like a middleweight fighting a heavyweight. Liverpool are going to be quicker and sharper, but a lot depends on whether United can get through the first 60 minutes.
“I always think this Liverpool team can blow you away and it’s been like that for a few years now, since when they had Raheem Sterling, Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
“If they can get through the first half and the first 15 minutes of the second half then United will win. If they don’t handle that first blitz I think they’ll have big problems.”