Redknapp: Rivals Both Need Win

The "most fiercely contested game in English football" is the last thing Brendan Rodgers needs right now, says Jamie Redknapp...

Manchester United and Liverpool aren’t where they want to be right now – but matches between the two are still the most fiercely contested games in English football.

It’s the biggest rivalry in the country and I remember as a player, no matter how each side was doing, it was the one match you wanted to win the most because you knew it meant so much to the fans and was always one of the most-watched on TV.

This weekend’s Super Sunday contest between them at Old Trafford is important for both sides.

United may have won five on the spin but you can’t say it’s with any real authority, with the way they’ve played. Both sides have a lot to do.

United go into the match with a lot more confidence than Liverpool, though, that’s for sure. Going to Old Trafford – after being knocked out of the Champions League by Basel – is the last fixture Brendan Rodgers wants at the moment.

There’s a huge amount of scrutiny on him, his team and his signings and if he loses this one the intensity goes up a couple of notches.

It’s time for some of new signings to stand up and be counted because they’ve not performed.

Last year Liverpool beat Man United 4-0 on aggregate – it could have been 6-0 at Old Trafford. There was so much pace and speed through the line in their displays, with people shooting and scoring – and, of course, Luis Suarez delivering.

But now you look at them and without Suarez and the injured Daniel Sturridge they look the average side that they were a few years ago, they’ve gone back to what they were. It shows how one or two players can transform a team and make them better than what they are.

You have to have some sympathy for Brendan Rodgers for that – they haven’t got Sturridge and there wasn’t a lot they could do because Suarez wanted to go. It shows you how good Suarez and Sturridge were last year and I vividly remember the game at Old Trafford and those two absolutely ripped United apart. It was embarrassing.

Can you imagine what that pair would do against United’s current defence? They’d tear them to shreds. But this year you’ve probably got Liverpool’s worst ever forward line against Man United’s worst ever defence. Who knows what’s going to happen. It will be an interesting game.

Liverpool are struggling for form but you can’t put a price on confidence. At the moment Liverpool are probably thinking, ‘we’ve got it all on’ and Rickie Lambert’s confidence will be on the floor after being substituted at half-time against Basel in their biggest game of the season so far. Rodgers has a lot of patching-up to do.

United have spent a lot of money and if they weren’t in the top four you’d have to ask questions, but with the start they’ve had they should really be closer. They’re not playing to the level they can but five wins on the spin is impressive, no matter how you do it.

Check out all Jamie's Red Hot Tips for Sunday's clash at Old Trafford here
I’m expecting a lot more from them and that’s a danger for Liverpool. Sooner or later United are going to click going forward and if it happens on Sunday it could be a bit of an ugly afternoon for Liverpool.

However, the pressure is on United this weekend because everyone expects them to beat this Liverpool side. Rodgers would bite your hand off for a draw right now and I reckon he might just come away with one and stop United’s run of wins with a 1-1.

Credit: Skysports.com