LIVERPOOL 1 MANCHESTER UNITED 2 - "Liverpool FC - The Retro Series" #liverpoolfc

On a winter worn Anfield pitch with strange white squares of bare patches by the Main Stand, the playing surface deteriorated to a bog heap by the final shrill of referee George Courtney’s whistle. In the old school vernacular of the day, this was a “niggly game” or a “bruising encounter” and whilst not helped by a dreadful pitch, David Johnson elbowed Manchester United central defender Kevin Moran early on which resulted in the Irish International remaining worryingly still for some time and flat out on the Anfield pitch, and Kenny Dalglish would have one or two friendly words with Moran in the second half in the middle of an ugly melee. When football did break out, and that was often, it was almost entirely dominated and dictated by the visitors from Manchester.

The game’s first chance came almost immediately as Ray Wilkins’ quick cross was headed wide at the near post by striker Garry Birtles, but the game’s first real and definitive chance fell to new signing Bryan Robson. Yet to score for his new team (and a team he would eventually guide to a multitude of honours in his illustrious career), John Gidman’s long ball forward was flicked into Robson’s path by the aggressive Frank Stapleton. Clear on goal and with only Bruce Grobbelaar to meet, he screwed his easy chance wide, giving rise to the Liverpool Kop End choir serenading him with the odious chant of the day of “What a waste of money!”. How ironic this chant immediately appears to be all these decades later! But rather a template had been set in motion whereby the visitors would continually hit long balls into the Liverpool half of the field, and especially so in the first half. The aim was always for a leaping Frank Stapleton, often finding their target, as did the Irish International with his deft flicks and lay offs, often to his strike partner Garry Birtles, and from there they’d build and join in with quick, incisive counter attacks. The home team Reds are barely in the game before their visitors take the lead.

The above two paragraphs are taken from my original article penned and published to my Medium blog site on 21st June 2022 and which can be read in full and for free (please also consider subscribing too!) via my Substack blog site and article linked immediately below:

https://ramblingmusings666.substack.com/p/liverpool-1-manchester-united-2-6dee3851cc40

I'm immensely proud of my third self-published book and first on the Mighty Reds of Liverpool Football Club entitled "Chasing The Impossible and a Sword of Damocles" which covers the past two seasons in the storied history of LFC together with 8 personal stories of my European travels following the Reds interwoven throughout. It's the book on Liverpool Football Club I've always wanted to write and so proudly link it immediately below and if you are able to help me thumb the eye of the traditional publishers who refused to read my original manuscript, I'd be most appreciative indeed:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C6W6TYCL

https://www.patreon.com/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.paypal.me/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/steveblackford

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