Anfield Doubles 25 Mar 2015 22:58

By Frank Mead, Editor

Everyone in the media, pundits and ABU’s alike, all just KNEW that United were going to get beat on Sunday. It’s probably really sickened them all that we didn’t, especially as most of them have Liverpool (or other United rivals) connections. Yeah, we do have a habit of pissing the nation off, most notably when everyone has written us off.

I watched it in Red Square, and for anyone who is unfamiliar with this place, it is basically the Victoria warehouse around the corner from Old Trafford, which serves alcohol and has the best atmosphere you can imagine without actually being at a game. It is decorated inside with memorabilia of our most glorious triumphs. So if this place still exists (I say IF only because I pretty much drank the place on Sunday), check their Facebook page out, as they update it regularly to let fellow Reds know of upcoming events. This was the first time I have been, and I cannot speak highly enough of the place. I will be going back.

So now I have recovered from that euphoric win at the home of our greatest rivals, I thought it was time to give United fans even more pleasure by recalling six of our past heroes who had previously done what Juan Mata did on Sunday. The statistics show that when a United player scores twice at Anfield, the Red’s don’t lose.

George Best – 11^th November 1967. Liverpool 1 – 2 United

As if this particular season, which ended with United becoming the first English club to become Champions of Europe, wasn’t perfect enough, George Best scored twice in the first half at Anfield to give the Reds a comfortable half time lead. Roger Hunt replied in the second half to ensure a nervous last 10 minutes for United.

Unfortunately, as limited footage is available from this particular era, and as it was about 12 years before I was even born, I honestly don’t know if either of these goals was the one he compared to bedding Miss World (if anyone who remembers it can correct me on this, please feel free to comment). But seeing as he was crowned European Footballer of the Year that season, it wouldn’t surprise me.

Bryan Robson – 4^th April 1988. Liverpool 3 – 3 United

An absolute stonker of a game, but one which most United fans will remember for the image of Gordon Strachan who, having scored the equaliser, celebrated by imitating smoking a cigar. So it can sometimes slip under the radar that Captain Marvel himself became the first United player in two decades to score twice at Anfield.

Robson had given United the lead in the first half, clipping the ball past Bruce Grobbelaar after great attacking play and a superb pass by Peter Davenport. Liverpool equalised through Peter Beardsley (regularly came back to haunt his old club), and then watched as he assisted Gary Gillespie to put his side ahead at half time. When Steve McMahon hit a 25 yard thunderbolt after the break, it looked like it wouldn’t be United’s day, and that maybe a sound thrashing might be on the cards.

Robson, as he so often did in the 1980’s, dragged his team up by the knuckles and reduced the deficit by hitting a 25 yard shot of his own which took a deflection, giving the goalkeeper no chance. When Peter Davenport, in probably his best game for United, put Strachan through one on one with the goalkeeper with a beautiful reverse pass over the top of the defence. The Scotsman was coolness personified as he slotted the ball home to level the scores, and “sparking” his famous celebration. A great game, but Robson’s part in the match seems to have been overshadowed, probably by the fact that neither of his goals was a winner or an extravagantly celebrated equaliser.

Gary Pallister – 19^th April 1997. Liverpool 1 – 3 United

A game which probably still haunts the scousers. Two points behind United, who had a game in hand but had lost two of the previous five games, they knew that a win would probably give them the impetus needed to secure a first league title in seven years (yep, that’s all it was back then, not 25 years like it has been now). Although United were a superior side to Liverpool anyway, you have to wonder of their players really wanted it – I mean they pretty much gifted us this victory.

Of all the trophies Gary Pallister lifted during his time at United, I bet this match is still one of his sweetest memories. He wasn’t the kind of centre back to get you 8 to 10 goals a season anyway, so to get two against your biggest rivals must be pretty special. Pally opened the scoring after 13 minutes, with a typical centre back goal, rising above all comers to meet Beckham’s perfectly delivered corner. John Barnes equalised with a similar type of goal, but this was to be United’s day.

With half time approaching, Liverpool goalkeeper David James, having moments earlier produced a magnificent stop from a Ronny Johnsen header, came off his line to claim a ball he had no chance of getting, and Pallister nodded another one past him. Midway through the second half, a brilliant individual piece of skill from Gary Neville was followed by a wildly over hit cross that David James somehow managed to miss, giving Andy Cole one of the easiest goals he ever scored. What a shame United didn’t get a penalty later in this game – it would have been great to see Pally get a Hat Trick.

Andy Cole – 6^th December 1997. Liverpool 1 – 3 United

For the second successive season, and the second time in eight months, United won 3- 1 at Anfield with little difficulty. This time it was Andy Cole, who just two months earlier had looked to be on the way out of Old Trafford and had responded with a flurry of goals (including two Hat Tricks), that did the damage.

After a goalless first half, United roared into life with Cole pouncing on a mistake by Bjørn Tore Kvarme, gliding past Jamie Carragher and slamming the ball into the back of the net. With an hour played, Liverpool were awarded a penalty after Nicky Butt was adjudged to have fouled Michael Owen, and Robbie Fowler promptly converted the spot kick.

Liverpool were level for less than ten minutes, as David Beckham sent a stunning free kick over the wall and into the net via the underside of the crossbar. Totally unsaveable, even a world class goalkeeper like Schmeichel wouldn’t have stopped it. Four minutes later, the game was over, as Teddy Sheringham’s flick on was tapped in from close range by Cole, who always seemed to enjoy the trips to Anfield, and regularly scored there. Oddly enough, he never scored against Liverpool at Old Trafford, but they were probably the only team he didn’t.

Diego Forlán – 1^st December 2002. Liverpool 1 – 2 United

Five years after Cole’s Anfield heroics, another striker who had found goals hard to come by in his early days at Old Trafford, Uruguayan Diego Forlán, went on to have a game that United fans still enjoy reminding the scousers about to this very day. I don’t blame them, I also love singing that song.

After a dour, goalless, first hour of the game, a simple headed back pass by Carragher to Jerzy Dudek was made to look anything but by the Polish goalkeeper, as he let it slip underneath him, and Forlán pounced to tap it into an empty net. Three minutes later, Forlán pounced on a slip by Sami Hyypiä and hit a shot that Dudek really should have done better with, not that the Uruguayan cared. Hyypiä added a reply for Liverpool to give United a nervous last ten minutes, and those nerves were tested further shortly after, when Dieter Hamann’s brilliant shot was met by an equally fantastic save from Barthez.

But three points for United, two goals and place in Old Trafford folklore for Forlán, a good day at the office. “He came from Uruguay, he made the Scousers cry!”

Ryan Giggs – 9^th November 2003. Liverpool 1 – 2 United

Is there anything in the game that Ryan Giggs didn’t do at United? Doubles? Done. Treble? Done. Won more trophies than, well, anyone you might care to mention? Done. UEFA Cup? Ok, but only because United weren’t crap enough to be in it for most of his career. Two goals at Anfield? Yep, did that as well.

After an eventful, but goalless, first half, the game was brought to life when Giggsy swung over a cross from the right wing which looked to be bound for the head of Ruud van Nistelrooy, but actually missed both him and Dudek to put United a goal up. Ten minutes later, Diego Forlán whipped in a cross from the left which found Giggs unmarked in the penalty area, who expertly smashed it past Dudek, albeit with a slight deflection off Hyypiä.

Harry Kewell replied for Liverpool, and there were a few nervous moments, including a missed sitter that Emile Heskey probably still has nightmares about, but United ran out deserved winners. With players of the calibre of Florent Sinama-Pongolle, El Hadji Diouf and Anthony Le Tallec, it’s hard to understand why it wasn’t their year, as they so confidently told us it was.

Honourable Mention – Jamie Carragher – 11^th September 1999. Liverpool 2 – 3 United

To be fair to Jamie Carragher, he always liked to give the opposition a helping hand, his seven own goals in the Premier League bettered only by Richard Dunne, but even by his standards this was pretty special. This game marked the debut of both Mikaël Silvestre and Massimo Taibi – Silvestre would stay for nine years, Taibi didn’t even last nine matches.

It was a game so full of incident (goalkeeping errors, red cards, goals, standard game between these two clubs) that we may well write a longer version of this in our Classic Matches section in the weeks to come, but the short version is as follows. Carragher managed to be credited with two own goals in the first half, with an Andy Cole headed goal sandwiched in between. Goals from Hyypiä and Patrik Berger proved to be nothing more than a hindrance to United, in what was a genuinely cracking match.

Such a game deserves more than just a couple of paragraphs – unlike the shirts United wore that day.