Although the Reds are the clear favorites heading into the match, ex-Chelsea star Cole believes the game won’t be as one-sided as many expect. ..Continue Reading
Cole predicts a narrow victory for Liverpool, who are currently leading the table and are six points ahead of second-placed Arsenal with a game in hand.
This prediction comes despite Manchester United’s significant struggles this season, and their poor form under Ruben Amorim, which has left the club in 14th place in the top flight.
Ahead of the Liverpool vs United game at Anfield, Cole told Paddy Power: ‘It’s a derby and it’s a one-off game.
‘But having said that, you can’t look past this Liverpool side. Manchester United will turn up, make a game of it, but Liverpool will win 2-1.
‘Manchester United might threaten on the counter-attack and get a goal, but they’ll get pinned back at Anfield up against the Kop.’
Cole has labelled Man United a ‘bottom-half’ team, but has played down talk of them being in a genuine Premier League relegation battle.
‘I think that Manchester United will be in the bottom half for the majority of the season, but there are too many teams that are too far off it for United to get really sucked into a relegation battle,’ Cole added.
‘When Ruben Amorim came in and was proclaimed to be the saviour, it was the equivalent of buying a house and not getting the surveying done properly, then walking into the house to find structural damage, and things falling apart.
‘Amorim has walked into it, and he doesn’t realise how much surgery needs to be done on the club in every aspect. Manchester United fans have to be mature and accept what’s going on and build slowly.
‘The new boys (INEOS) can’t even blame the Glazers and the old regime now, because their transfer window at the start of the summer was dreadful – and they’ve already hired and fired Dan Ashworth, someone who was brought in to do some long-term planning, fired after six months.
‘Everything about the club is off at the moment. They won’t get sucked into a relegation battle, but they’re a bottom-half team.’
