In this classic 'who would win' scenario, we'll take a look at a hypothetical 5v5 match we would all love to see involving broadcasting giants; Sky Sports and BT Sport's main punditry teams. The twist? We've split them up into the teams they featured for most prominently during their playing careers - Liverpool and Manchester United.
The teams
Former Liverpool and Manchester United players dominate this broadcasting sphere, so those two behemoths of the English game will serve as the format for our experiment.
Now no kick-around with your mates, or arch-rivals in this case, would be complete without competent goalkeepers. As we're only focusing on the aforementioned pundits, we'll bring the two 'keepers from Man Utd and Liverpool who played most prominently with the majority of the pundits, Pepe Reina for Liverpool and Edwin van der Sar for the Red Devils, to fill in.
Our teams look like this:
Liverpool: Jamie Carragher (Sky), Jamie Redknapp (Sky), Steve McManaman (BT) and Michael Owen (BT).
Manchester United: Rio Ferdinand (BT), Gary Neville (Sky), Owen Hargreaves (BT) and Roy Keane (Sky)
So, let's analyse!
Rio Ferdinand
World-class centre half, leader, and professional boxer… sort of. Many words could describe Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United Legend would be appropriate. The Ferdinand name is synonymous with English football, brother Anton had a long career in the Premier League, whilst cousin Kane Ferdinand still plays in the lower tiers and older cousin Les made appearances for the England national side and is remembered fondly in the north-east as Sir Les for his powerful displays as Newcastle's number 9. Not a bad family to have a kickaround in the park with to hone your skills.
Rio's footballing upbringing led him to arguably the pinnacle of his playing career; captaining United to victory in an all-English Champions League final against Chelsea in 2008. Known primarily for his exquisite footballing brain and technical ability with the ball at his feet, his calmness and close control would be invaluable on a smaller 5-a-side pitch. Rio's well-documented weakness was often cited as his vulnerability in ariel situations, which wouldn't be too much of an issue as head-height balls are generally frowned upon in 5-a-side. And as this is my scenario, yes, I've decided. No above-head height balls. So there.
Gary Neville
From a time when full-backs were full-backs, Gary Neville also hails from a very sporting family, his brother Phil had a stellar career with United and England, then cemented himself as captain and effective utility player at Everton. Gary's sister Tracy has had a long career in Netball as a player and coach and his wonderfully named father, Neville Neville, was a county cricketer.
Starting as the youngest first-choice player for England at Euro 96, Gary was top-class from a very early age. 602 appearances later there's a very strong argument for Neville to be regarded as United's best right-back. Coming through as one of the Class of '92, United's famous academy graduates who helped them dominate English football for many years, Gary was the most aggressive of the bunch. An excellent tackler, not blessed with great pace, and over long stretches of grass he could be exposed, but the timing of his interceptions and tactical awareness more than made up for his slight physical limitations. Often complementing David Beckham on the right flank, Gary was a decisive crosser of the ball and I believe his stamina and willingness to get forward with overlapping runs helped pave the way for the blueprint of the modern-day Premier League Wing-back. In the tighter confines of a smaller pitch, Gary's aggression and timing would prove crucial.
Roy Keane
Speaking of aggressive players: Roy Keane. I could just leave it there, couldn't I?
Keane started out splitting his time between boxing and football, eventually joining After moving to Nottingham Forest and immediately impressing, Keane moved to Man Utd in 1993 for a British transfer record fee of £3.75 million as part of their midfield overhaul. Keane would form the spine of a legendary side that he would lead to league titles and domestic and European cups. A controversial and often abrasive personality on the pitch, Keane took no prisoners and gave no quarter.
More technically adept than he is often given credit for, Roy Keane was composed on the ball and distributed the ball quickly and accurately, his off-the-ball movement and positional sense in both attack and defence would be invaluable in a playing area. Primarily used in a defensive midfield role, it should be noted that Keane scored 96 goals in his career. A potential for him to lead the line in this striker-less United line-up.
Owen Hargreaves
A player I feel that was born perhaps too early for him to get the plaudits he undoubtedly deserves. A blend of elegance and old-fashioned graft, Hargreaves today would be the perfect midfield general for any of today's top teams that demand versatility from their men in the middle.
Hargreaves got into the game relatively late at age 15, due to a lack of exposure to football at an early age during to his childhood in Canada. This quickly changed when his talents were noticed by Bayern Munich scouts at a try-out in 1996 and less than a year later, he moved to Bavaria. His time in Munich was incredibly successful; 4 league titles, 4 domestic cups, and 2 European titles including the 2001 Champions League; Hargreaves is a serial winner. His time at Manchester United was longer than most people realise, although due to his infamous injuries, he amassed just 39 appearances in 4 years.
Hargreaves should be remembered by United fans for the impact he had off the treatment table: winning the league and playing all 120 minutes in the Champions League final of 2008. The one thing Hargreaves lacked was goals, 13 goals in his playing career isn't the healthiest return, even for a defensive midfielder. This isn't to say Hargreaves was a complete slouch when striking a ball, his great technique was exemplified by his two goals for United, both scored from free kicks.
Jamie Carragher
Nowadays he forms part of an on-screen double act with bitter-rival-turned-uneasy-ally Gary Neville on Sky Sports, Carragher is one of Liverpool's most respected heroes. Coming from a family of Evertonians, it is a testament to his drive and commitment that his first love for Liverpool's local rivals never impacted his playing performances. Arguably the most versatile player in our selection, Carragher started as an attacking midfielder and striker, his knowledge of how forwards think will have undoubtedly aided his development into one of the best defenders in Premier League history.
Not known as much for technical ability with the ball as he is for last-ditch tackles and fantastic organisational and leadership abilities, Jamie's incredible stamina and reading of the game will serve him well in the tight pockets of this clash. Incredibly competitive, Carragher served as a faithful, vocal leader in a fluctuating Liverpool back line, often deputising on the flanks or even in a midfield role in his early career due to his positional awareness. Going forward, there were some limitations; not explosively fast nor possessing a rocket of a shot, Carragher rarely exceeded in forward positions outside of dead ball scenarios, something which could hinder his teammates on a smaller pitch.
Jamie Redknapp
Son of man-management expert and natural storytelling coach, Harry Redknapp, Jamie grew up under the tutelage of his father's footballing brain. Making his debut and start as a professional at Bournemouth under his father's watchful eye, Liverpool Legend King Kenny Dalglish snapped up the promising Jamie at just 17 years of age.
At Merseyside, Redknapp’s involvement in Liverpool's first team was slow due to managerial changes and his young age, by the time of his second season, Redknapp was one of many poster boys of English football and the brand-new Premier League. With this new limelight, Redknapp was expected to perform. He did so. Redknapp was lauded for his technical ability and close control, his ability to find space in close quarters with opponents, and notably for his power when striking a ball, especially from free kicks. Just outside the box is where Jamie shined and earned him recognition and call-ups for the England national team. A fantastic striker of the football, most often from range will make him a real threat in this game.
Steve McManaman
A true Galactico. Flowing hair, mazy dribbles, scissor-kick volleys and a scouse accent. What's not to love? Macca is a hero of Liverpool and provided well over 100 assists for them in his 9 years at the club. Coming through Liverpool's development team, Steve made his debut in 1990 and the following season he cemented himself in the starting line-up.
McManaman shone on the right wing for Liverpool, known quickly across the continent for his incredible dribbling ability and explosive speed which enabled him to take on sometimes several players at once to get into crossing positions. He played with visible joy, and his creativity earned him call-ups for the England side, where he injected much-needed flair into a national side that had perhaps missed the dribbling prowess of Hoddle, Barnes & Waddle since the 1980s'. Criticised in his youth for not being clinical in front of goal, this improved as he reached his prime which in turn drew the attention of Real Madrid.
He formed part of the Galacticos' side of the early 00s and his style of play matched Spanish football perfectly. As popular at Madrid as he was at Liverpool, McManaman, like Hargreaves is the only English player to win a Champions League with a non-domestic club, winning two titles in 2000 and 2002. He is perfect for a 5-a-side game, by far the most technical and comfortable on the ball in confined spaces of the players involved, his lack of defensive abilities would have to be consolidated by his teammates however.
Michael Owen
Probably the most controversial player on this list, Owen played for both Liverpool and Manchester United but would firmly be seated on the Liverpool end of the scale for this clash. Born in Chester and similarly to Carragher, was raised as an Everton fan. He joined Liverpool's youth structure at age 12 and at age 17, signed a professional contract on his birthday, and was quickly noted for his calmness and composure despite his age.
Owen reached his prime early on in his career, the diminutive striker had reached 50 goals for his club before he turned 21 and went on to net 158 in 297 appearances. Owen is firmly on the list of Liverpool's greatest-ever strikers and one of the finest of his generation, his abilities even won him a coveted Balon d'Or in 2001. His greatest assets were of course his blistering pace and speed of the line, which made him incredibly difficult to deal with for defenders. After injuries blighted the mid part of his career, Owen had to rely more on his guile and reading of the game to keep the goals flowing, his ability to score goals with both feet from difficult angles and his off-the-ball movement are skills that could prove the tipping point for this scenario.
Well, who wins?
If we want to be really picky, which I do, then I'd look at this match with my fantasy glasses on and imagine it played out in two different scenarios. The first, with each player in their respective prime, at the height of their abilities. The second is with the players as they are today when father-time has perhaps limited their physical abilities somewhat.
In the first scenario, explosiveness plays a much more pivotal role. Without much room to manoeuvre, agility and acceleration become invaluable assets. This is where I think the Liverpool side has the edge, with the Man Utd pundits being the more physical, the trickery of McManaman and Redknapp with the direct raw pace of a young Owen would come out on top in a close affair.
Looking at the players as they are now, years of retirement from the game and longstanding injury issues mean the game would be played at a more sedentary pace, allowing the tacticians of the game to shine. Although which group of pundits has kept the fittest will also be a deciding factor, the aggression, movement, and reading of the game of the United pundits would see them through in this case.
It's a game we're never likely to see, but it's entertaining to daydream about legendary past players. For now, we can be thankful that although their playing careers are finished, we still get to hear their valuable insight and experience on BT and Sky respectively.
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