We used to make hard work of worse sides than our current side more regularly in those days.
The game has changed alot since 08, not sure how you can be blind to it.
The point of me referencing Liverpool's somewhat struggles with our current team was to highlight that as good as they are, and they are bloody good, they aren't this unstoppable force that they are sometimes made out to be. They only team in my lifetime I could give that title to are Pep's Barcelona at their best. Every team in history have had games they struggle in but sometimes it feels like people talk as if this Liverpool team wins every game comfortably.
For me the fact is that we are asking who would win between two great sides and in that case the game isn't so different now to think that this Liverpool side poses the time of question that could completely undo that era United. I've given my reasons why I think United have the upper hand. That's not to say that I'd expect any game between them to be a drubbing, in fact it'd be a tight affair. It's just that all we really have heard is that United wouldn't deal with Liverpool's system but I think that United's style would quickly make Klopp rethink his approach in game.
It has been said that its a 'system' thing and not a player thing but the problem is the players make the system. Barcelona worked as much because of the players in the team as Pep's genius. Take Messi, Xavi and Iniesta out and the 'system' wouldn't have worked near as effectively. The quality of the player is pretty important otherwise we could be talking about how Aston Villa would beat 99 United because football has changed so much.
So here's my view regardless of era:
Liverpool's attack offers nothing that 08 United haven't seen before and even if they pose issues you are talking about 4 top quality defenders (at least 2 World Class) and a top quality goalkeeper. I think they could adjust to the task.
In midfield United have the better quality players by a distance. Yes the press would be an issue but there is ball laying quality there, legs and defense in Fletcher/Hargreaves and most importantly the ability to adapt if needed. If the midfield battle becomes a slog I fancy Scholes or Carrick to pick a game changing pass before any of the Liverpool 3.
In attack for United we have 2 players in Rooney and Tevez who will hound the hell out of the opposition players while being of a higher qulaity than the vast majority of present day attacking players. Football may have changed but I can't name many attackers of their ability now a days.
The biggest thing then is Ronaldo. The guy is a cheat card, especially in the 08 season. Here is where I said that Klopp would quickly realise that having his full backs bomb forward is a very risky tactic. However even if he keeps them back I don't fancy Robertson or TAA defensively against him. Double mark him and you have Rooney and Tevez to contend with.
The benches are a wash for United in terms of game changers.
If we are talking about systems though heres the thing for me. I seen that United team play as gung ho as this Liverpool team, I've seen them win games with the vast majority of possession and with very little. I've seen them play a low block and destroy teams on the counter. Football may have changed but that 08 team were stupidly adaptable to counter almost any style. People talk about the struggles with the high press (especially against Barca) while forgetting that it wasn't necessarily the press that killed us it was how bloody good the other team was at keeping the ball afterwards. For me as good, as they are, this Liverpool side doesn't have the same ability in that area. Also currently Liverpool's press isn't as intense as it first was under Klopp.
This season Liverpool's main attacking pattern has been to get it wide and cross the ball. This depends massively on the full backs (as Ole spotted and nullified with 352 this season) and as I've said I think united would pose too much of a threat to allow that system to be employed indefinitely in game. Even if it could be then you have 2 of the best CBs in the World defending the situation and 2 very good full backs. The question is can Liverpool properly adapt to it if its completely shut down? Because I'm very sure that United could adapt to whatever was needed and in my opinion playing on the counter attack was that teams biggest strength.
Again if they played 10 times Liverpool would certainly win some, there'd be a couple of draws but I fancy United to win more. Pep's Barca are the only team I'd really give United little hope against and they were from the previous era too but happened to have better players in key positions overall and three cheat cards too to boot.