#360view: Liverpool and Man Utd playing for more than pride

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  • Back in the front line: Rooney’s return to a striking role has energised United.

    Derbies between Liverpool and Manchester United rarely lack for relevance – but this clash could have repercussions for some considerable time after the final whistle at Anfield on Sunday.

    The race for the final Champions League qualification spot appears to be boiling down to these grandees of English football. Two points and one place separate them ahead of arguably the most important Premier League clash of the season, given second placed Manchester City’s collapse ensures Chelsea are champions in waiting.

    A second-successive taste of the riches on offers from the world’s most high-profile club competition should cement the host’s renaissance under progressive manager Brendan Rodgers.

    In the opposite dugout, victory for boss Louis van Gaal could finally offer direct proof that his repeated talk of imprinting a “philosophy” on fourth-placed United is not only wishful self-promotion.

    Last Sunday’s 3-0 triumph against Tottenham Hotspur saw delivery of a long-delayed first installment of the free-flowing yet cerebral football the Dutchman was expected to bring with him to Old Trafford in the summer. United were everything they had not been throughout a fitful season of barely-acceptable progress.

    Captain Wayne Rooney’s energy up front while freed from the shackles of a constricting – and confusing – mdfield role was key, the pivot between the outstanding Ander Herrera and serene Michael Carrick in the middle offering balance and a platform to build on.

    A return to the Champions League will validate Van Gaal and provide evidence that he is the man to follow in Sir Alex Ferguson’s daunting footsteps next term. The Spurs display must become the standard rather than a rare high point in a campaign of false starts.

    A repeat will be needed at Anfield to deny opponents who are bang in form and determined to claw their way back into the top four.

    Liverpool have soared since Rodgers switched to a 3-4-3 mid-season that added ballast to a questionable defence and gifted freedom to his youthful attackers. 

    A division-high 26 points from their last 30 have been earned in heart-racing fashion, Jordan Henderson’s shinned winner on Monday at Swansea aside.

    The Reds appear a side on the verge of an exciting new era. Another Champions League bonanza allied to the Anfield redevelopment will provide the funds to fuel a return to their heyday more than 30 years ago.

    The stakes are huge on Merseyside, three points earning so much more than mere regional pride.

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