5 elements that destroyed Liverpool vs Manchester United

#1 No local passion

Gary Neville and Steven Gerrard understood what this fixture meant to both clubs

Think of the most memorable and famous moments between these two clubs in the Premier League era, and figures like Steven Gerrard, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Jamie Carragher and Ryan Giggs come to mind. They were players that had grown up as fans of their respective clubs, understanding and appreciating what it meant to play against the other.

Sadly, there were no local leaders on the field on Saturday, and it showed. There was no understanding of this history of the fixture and what it means to each city. There was no appreciation of the previous rivalries that had headlined past encounters, and no recognition for the players that had sweat blood in this very fixture before them.

Instead, two well-drilled and disciplined mixtures of mainly foreign players followed the instructions of their respective foreign managers to the letter, and the fact that there was barely a controversial incident served only to emphasise how much edge this particular fixture has lost. This was not what the pre-match hype was about, but the former players responsible for building the fixture up were talking only about a past era.

In March 2015, Steven Gerrard was famously sent off for Liverpool against Manchester United just 41 seconds after coming off the bench. In January 2006, Gary Neville goaded Liverpool fans at Old Trafford following a later winner against their bitter rivals. Both actions were very different and neither can really be condoned. However, they are prime examples of the passion spread over the course of nearly a decade that has now not only been lost, but doesn't seem likely to return anytime soon.