Alisson interview: Manchester United will be ‘on fire’ on Anfield return after 7-0 hammering

Liverpool are embarking on an unusual endeavour before facing their biggest rivals: They are talking up Manchester United so much that one could be forgiven for thinking they have shares in Ineos.

Jurgen Klopp has warned the severe criticism of Erik ten Hag’s side makes them more dangerous, while his goalkeeper Alisson Becker says he expects ‘fire’ from United’s players seeking to avenge the 7-0 Anfield rout last season.

A spark of life would be a start where seasoned Old Trafford analysts are concerned, given the recent form of Ten Hag’s side. It reflects the clubs’ current standing that Klopp and his players are proactively countering presumptions of a repeat of the March mauling. Liverpool’s fear, it seems, is that absorbing the broader view that the lambs are turning up for another slaughter would leave them vulnerable to a fierce United response.

Asked how he would react in United’s position, Alisson spoke from bitter experience.

“I would be on fire and I would try to set my team-mates on fire as well,” said Brazil’s No 1.

“As a football player, as an elite athlete, you are going to try to use it to motivate yourself. I don’t know much about the Man United players so I don’t know what they are going to do, but I’m sure they are coming here to try and get the result from us. We are focused on getting the three points.

“From our side, that game is in the past. It’s a good thing for the supporters to talk about and remember, but we have a different team now and we are in a different moment.”

Alisson was on the receiving end of an Anfield hammering as part of the Roma team beaten 5-2 in the 2018 Champions League semi-final and he recalls counting the days to make amends.

“I lost that game and it wasn’t a good experience, but this is the kind of game you want to play in. The players from Liverpool FC, Chelsea, Man United and Man City are players that have to enjoy playing in this kind of game. I enjoy it a lot when we play against big opponents.”

Alisson’s encouraging words do not end there as he has offered sympathy to opposite number Andre Onana, whose litany of mistakes have proved especially expensive given United’s European elimination.

“A really good goalkeeper,” said Alisson. “The Champions League he played last season was amazing.”

So why is he struggling? Alisson suggested looking beyond the individual.

“I was lucky in that I was coming to a team that was with everything already going in a different way; that was building,” he said.

“He needs to be patient, he needs to do that with everything that is going on in his life in the best way that he can and I think he is someone who in this moment needs the support of everybody, so I think he will get there.

“I went through something similar to what he is living; coming from an Italian club to England, to a big club, for a lot of money. This is a lot of responsibility over your shoulders and he came here with the responsibility to be the replacement for [David] De Gea, who maybe was not in the best shape of his career, but he was still delivering.

“He delivered so many good things for Manchester United and so many appearances for Manchester United and [to replace that] is a big step in your career. I think he is capable of this responsibility, but sometimes it takes longer with some than others. You are changing your team, you are changing your league. They [United] are trying to adapt and discover themselves and that can affect you a lot.”

While Onana tries to establish himself, Alisson is a key reason Liverpool are top, his save percentage the highest in the Premier League amid the belief he is getting better.

“Yes, if the numbers talk then maybe,” he said. “I feel myself in a good way, in good shape. I’m working to improve each year as much as I can.

“I started to play [first-team] football at a young age for a goalkeeper, 21 or 22-years-old, so I’ve already played 10 years in the posts. That’s a lot of time, but I’m still young for a goalkeeper. If you see goalkeepers now they are playing until they are 38, 39 and sometimes going over that.

“I think now I am getting to the highest point of my career, mixing physicality, experience and a big desire to keep doing good and to keep improving.”

United fans are preoccupied with the question of which side will turn up at Anfield; that which impressed against Chelsea or one that lost 3-0 to Bournemouth and meekly exited the Champions League.

But it has gone somewhat under the radar that Liverpool have been erratic, too, their perfect home record camouflaging ropey away days. Three years ago it was a January victory over United and Alisson’s assist for Mohamed Salah which prompted the first Kop rendition of ‘We’re Gonna Win the League’, a celebrated victory swelling belief.

‘We have to slow down talking about the title’

Alisson is wary about predicting history will repeat itself and is honest about the progress needed to warrant comparison with Klopp’s Premier League winners.

“It was a different time and different moment for that team,” he said.

“That game was amazing. It sent a message to our supporters. The supporters felt that. We were feeling as players at that moment that we had a big chance to win the league – beating Man United, one of your biggest rivals, at home, with that atmosphere and scoring goals like Mo’s with my assist. It makes you feel really good and gives you a big boost.

“Yeah, of course, it is good to remember every special moment. It happened in a big moment for the team and a special moment against a special club as well.

“But I think now we are in a different moment. We want to win in a consistent way.

“We have to slow down, not our pace, but talking about the title race, because we are a team that is rebuilding. Of course we want to win the league, of course we want to beat every opponent.

“But we have to be focused always on the closest thing we have now. We have to perform better as well, better than what we are doing, but I think we will get there.”