my liverpool fc

JAVIER MASCHERANO today insisted he has learned the harsh lessons of his most recent visit to Old Trafford and will not be repeating the moment of madness which led to him being sent off there last season.

Liverpool make the short trip up the M62 on Saturday to meet league leaders Manchester United in a win or bust clash which will determine whether or not they can get back into the race for the title.

Mascherano knows the Reds will need to have eleven men on the pitch if they are to stand a realistic chance of beating the reigning champions and has vowed to keep his passions in check.

The Argentinian still has regrets over his dismissal in the first half of Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of their North West rivals in the corresponding fixture last season.

Having been booked for a foul on Paul Scholes, Mascherano was then forced to take an early bath after receiving a second yellow for a show of dissent to referee Steve Bennett.

The 24-year-old said:is adamant that he has learned from his mistakes and with the two sides set to meet at Old Trafford on Saturday he has pledged to avoid any confrontation with match referee Alan Wiley.“I made a mistake last season and it was a very sad day for me.

“But now I have learned the lessons and I know that it will not happen again.”

“Now I am just trying to play for my team and I try not to talk anymore with the referees.”

Mascherano did get himself involved with Belgian referee Frank de Bleeckere after being booked for kicking the ball away during Tuesday night’s 4-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Liverpool are unhappy with that decision as replays appear to show that Mascherano kicked the ball as the official was blowing his whistle, not afterwards.

The midfielder will now serve a one game ban in the Champions League but does not want to dwell on that, preferring to focus on the performance of the team which he believes proves they have a genuine chance of upsetting the odds and winning at Old Trafford.

Martin Skrtel confesses that Liverpool's Premier League title aspirations will be in ruins if arch rivals Manchester United are not defeated on Saturday.

The Reds make the short trip to Old Trafford with hopes of a first league title in 19 years hanging by a thread as defending champions United have opened a seven-point lead at the top of the table.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side also enjoy the luxury of a game in hand over their North-West rivals, making Liverpool's task all the more testing, and Skrtel is well aware of the importance of the fixture.

The Slovakian centre-back, who was a part of the team which hammered Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, admits that anything less than three points at United would be fatal, but he is not throwing in the towel.

"If we can win at Old Trafford we would be able to complicate United's title bid," Skrtel - who has battled back from a serious knee injury suffered earlier in the season to regain a place as a first-team regular under Rafa Benitez - told Pravda.

"Any result other than a win would mean a definite end to our title hopes.

"Despite the point difference, we are going into the match with the goal of winning.

"We will see if we can do it but, one thing is for sure, we are in a good mood after beating Real."

English giants Liverpool are likely to play in Thailand on July 22, according to Football Association of Thailand boss Worawi Makudi. The five-time European champions are to tour South-east Asia this summer, a region in which they have many fans, and will also visit Singapore and Hong Kong. There could be one stumbling block, however, as Thailand want Liverpool to reduce their fee. "We would like them to reduce their fees because our country is hit by the economic crunch," Makudi said, according to the Bangkok Post. "Everything will be finalised by the end of this month." Manchester United have already announced an Asian tour with games in Indonesia, Korea and China. The Thailand national team will play New Zealand in a friendly in Bangkok on March 28.

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