SIR ALEX FERGUSON EYES IMPROVED ANFIELD SHOWING

SIR ALEX EYES IMPROVED ANFIELD SHOWING Manchester United are looking to halt a poor recent record at Liverpool in Sunday's Barclays Premier League blockbuster.  Sir Alex Ferguson's men last won at Anfield in December 2007 and have lost four of the five subsequent meetings there in all competitions, including a 2-1 FA Cup defeat in January when Dirk Kuyt struck with two minutes left. Although United have enjoyed some success at Liverpool in the past, famously winning consecutive league games 3-1 in 1996/97 and 1997/98, it has generally been a tough fixture against a home side who have often gone into the game as underdogs. "The motivation leans on the side of Liverpool, particularly at Anfield, and the crowd get behind them and they make it a real competition in terms of challenges and tackles," said Sir Alex. "We know that will happen on Sunday." Nevertheless, Sir Alex saw some encouraging signs in United's two visits last season - a league draw secured by Javier Hernandez's late strike and then the cup exit. "Last season we handled Liverpool at Anfield much better," he added. "It was 1-1 in the league and there was nothing between the teams. Then we threw away the cup tie when we were the far better team. If we get that performance on Sunday then we will be okay." More - Podcast: Ready for Liverpool | Sir Alex's letter to fans | Captain calls for calm CLEVERLEY ITCHING FOR ANFIELD TEST United midfielder Tom Cleverley spoke exclusively to ManUtd.com in the lead-up to Sunday's Barclays Premier League fixture against Liverpool... Games don't come much bigger than Sunday's clash against Liverpool. You must be itching to be involved? Yeah, it's fair to say this would be the biggest game I've played in for United if I'm involved. But it's not just a big game for me, it's a big game for the club and of course there's a lot of focus on this particular match. Liverpool haven't started so well so I'm sure this will be like a cup final. Meanwhile, we've won our last three games so we're hoping to build on that. It's important we maintain that momentum. It's a massive game for the team. Liverpool finished 37 points behind United last season and are yet to win in the league this term... I think form goes out of the window in these fixtures. It's more like a one-off game. They're great occasions. Growing up as a United fan, I've watched about 20 or 30 of these games, so I know exactly what this fixture means to everybody associated with the club. I just hope we can get the right result. What were games against Liverpool like in the United youth teams? It was still a crunch match. You always looked forward to the Liverpool and Manchester City games. There was something extra about those games and winning those games always felt better, especially away from home. There was always a lot of satisfaction when you beat Liverpool on their own turf so it would be nice to feel that again. Hopefully I'll be having that feeling again on Sunday night. It won't be your first time at Anfield. What do you remember of going there with Wigan in 2010? It was good. We managed to get a 1-1 draw there. It's always enjoyable to play at these historic stadiums, although I'm fully aware it will be something else going there with United. After conceding goals in the first few games, the team have kept two clean sheets in a row. How important is it to maintain that solidity at the back? It's great to have a strong defensive foundation from which to attack from. We know that 99 times out of 100 if we keep a clean sheet we'll win the game. The defence have done really well in the last few games and hopefully that continues. More: Shinji wins fans' poll | Sir Alex hails Fletcher | Nani's spot of bother EVANS: WE'LL RISE TO THE OCCASION Jonny Evans believes United's players will relish the atmosphere at Anfield on Sunday. The Reds face a Liverpool side desperate for a first league victory of the 2012/13 campaign and it promises to be an emotional first home game for the Merseysiders since the long-awaited release of an independent panel's findings on the Hillsborough disaster. "I just think the history of the two clubs makes it that way," replied Evans, when asked about the intensity of the fixture. "The geographical distance between us, the Merseyside-Manchester rivalry and all the history means it will be no different on Sunday. "We haven't had great results away at Liverpool in the last couple of years so it's up to us to put that right. It's always a big occasion but one every Manchester United player relishes. It's something you never forget with the atmosphere and the stick you get as well. It's all part of it. We enjoy that side of it and it's going to be a really big game. "You can go through tactics and talk about how many points the teams have this season but I think all that goes out of the window when it comes to a Manchester United-Liverpool game with the history and the rivalry. We just want to go out there and hopefully put on a good performance." More - Vidic: We're in good shape | Sir Alex rules out Rooney | Boss wants Anfield focus