Friday 5 October 2018 18:14, UK
In the latest Super 6 Class of '92 Diary, Gary Neville explains why he feels "sad" for Alexis Sanchez, discusses Manchester United's issues and looks ahead to Liverpool v Manchester City...
Some say Liverpool against Manchester City is my least favourite game of the season but actually I really enjoy these matches - although I suppose it's my least favourite teams!
But I'm really looking forward to it, it should be fantastic as the game last year at Anfield was brilliant and this weekend I expect it to be exactly the same.
Both managers don't retreat away from their style and values. What I would say is that Liverpool seem to have the measure of City over the last few games in terms of their style.
Although a lot more eyes will be on Liverpool for the game I'm probably more interested to see if Man City can overcome that obstacle they seem to have playing against the energetic style and speed that Liverpool offer.
They've caused them real problems. City split their centre-backs and Liverpool win the ball back high better than any team in the league and they counter-attack off them better than any team in the league.
That really does pose City a problem and that'll be the interesting thing - do City try and adapt to that to make sure they don't get caught on the ball.
I'm sure Pep Guardiola will just say pass the ball better, get better angles, play with a better tempo, I don't think he'll change the style but will Liverpool be able to do what they do to other teams and win the ball high up the pitch?
These games can be struggles, there can be fine lines in it. I thought the Chelsea v Liverpool game was fantastic, the standard and quality was high - the quality of the goals was fantastic.
You do get a lot more games that are 3-0, 3-1, 4-2 these days, but I enjoy big games where there's that struggle to create a chance, where both teams are playing well, concentrating and at the peak of their games.
You really have to work hard to get that moment of magic to define the game and win it. It felt like it was a proper big match where teams are struggling to get that moment.
I'm hoping this game will be the same - obviously we want to see chances and see entertainment but I hope it's a game where there is that struggle between two top quality sides.
People keep asking me about this player and that player, I must have been asked about 10 different players at Manchester United - what's going on with Anthony Martial, with Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez, Luke Shaw - the answer is I haven't got a clue!
I was at the game on Wednesday night against Valencia. I saw them huddle in the middle of the pitch - that's the first time I've seen a Manchester United team do a huddle in the middle of the pitch before a game at Old Trafford so I was expecting to see an explosion after that - and I didn't.
Sanchez looks like a shadow of the player United signed, he looks like a shadow of the player Arsenal had. Alexis Sanchez has been a warrior of a player to watch over the last few years and you don't become a bad player overnight.
The idea that he now looks the way he does, more than anything I feel sad. When you see a player struggling like that it's just sad, you know that player has been a great player over the last few years.
He's a fighter, he chases back, he's a hurrier and a scurrier, he's everything you want to see on a football pitch. I expected him to hit the ground running this season and I've just got no answer for it.
Sanchez looks like a shadow of the player United signed, he looks like a shadow of the player Arsenal had.
The atmosphere against Valencia was linked to the game, it felt like a game of possession from box to box with no goals at either end. There was no real quality at either end from either team. It was a bit of a nothing game, both teams played decent football at times but not much happened in either box.
I was in the ground, you can't blame the fans, they were trying to have a go but it was a bit flat mainly because the game on the pitch was a bit flat - it's a natural reaction to what we were watching.
Newcastle could be the right team to play - Newcastle fans won't like that and they could come to Old Trafford and win, but United have to win on Saturday.
I don't think it'll be a classic because Newcastle will come to be resilient, be compact, defend deep and play on the counter-attack.
They'll try and play on the anxiety that may be created if United don't score in the first half an hour and I'm sure that'll be a tactic.
I suspect it'll be tight, the important thing is for United to get an early goal as that will disrupt the whole plan and Newcastle will have to come out and go for it a bit more.
It's been a good couple of weeks with the run that we've been on. We just seemed to be hitting our stride but you look at it and with 32 games to go there's a long way to go.
I remember a lot of the social media posts I was getting the other week when we were about 18th in the league but I think we were just getting used to the standard for the first few weeks but it looks like we're getting to grips with it.
We've got a period now of one game a week where we can get more training under our belts and prepare properly. Obviously the results are encouraging but there's a long way to go.
In that first few weeks what we all recognised is that we are a scalp and when we play games there seems to be an increased crowd, level of attention and teams enjoy beating us. We've seen over the last few years teams enjoy beating us more than they would other teams. It's just something we have to accept.
I think the players have started to accept that they have to play at their very best every week because of the standard in the league there are such fine margins in every game.
Burnley 2-1 Huddersfield
Crystal Palace 1-1 Wolves
Leicester 3-1 Everton
Tottenham 2-0 Cardiff
Watford 2-0 Bournemouth
QPR 1-1 Derby
