I’m gutted for us, but Ole deserves respect for finally making United attractive and competitive for first time in years

I KNOW – more than anyone – how much it hurts watching Manchester United going for trophies while my team had no chance of honours.

I had it enough times in my career with Liverpool and Manchester City.

As a Scouser, I’m not ashamed to admit the pain of watching United seemingly win everything, while we got close... but never close enough.

Which is why I’m hoping – knowing, in fact, because I know Jurgen Klopp’s mentality – that every single Liverpool player has been hurting like hell this past week.

Watching the Manchester clubs slug it out while they’ve been sitting at home with nothing to play for.

It’s been a huge week for City and United with two European semi-finals to be decided. And Liverpool? Even the Premier League’s top four is out of their hands, no matter what they do.

I’ve had that feeling. It’s grim.

But it must be even worse when you were on top of the world a year ago, and seemed invincible.

Worse still that in the intervening year it’s United who have emerged as City’s biggest rivals.

One thing I always had for Sir Alex Ferguson’s United, even when they were making life so hard for a Liverpool lad, was respect.

They were successful and totally earned and deserved that success, and I never begrudged them that. So I wouldn’t begrudge them now, under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Football is about opinions, but it’s more about results. In fact, it’s only about results – and he’s got them, playing a variety of ways.

That speaks volumes for him and what he has achieved as a manager under real pressure.

He’s earned the right to respect.

And you know what it’s also done – earned United a real chance of closing the gap to City even more.

For years now, we’ve been saying United are a few players away from being a proper team, from being genuine contenders.

They still are... but now they’ve made those two or three missing pieces more accessible and available.

Players will look at what they’ve done this season in getting to the verge of a European final, and getting closer to City than anyone else, and believe they can be the final piece in that particular jigsaw.

They can be tempted to go there.

I like how they look.

They have played some really good football lately, were sensational in the second half against Roma and they go into this afternoon’s game against Liverpool as strong favourites – for the first time in probably seven or eight years.

Can they close the gap to City? Can anyone? They’ll believe they can. So will Liverpool, despite their shocking season.

Last year, Liverpool finished 18 points ahead of City and were, 26, 28 points ahead at one stage until Covid changed the dynamic a little. Were City 18 points worse? Not at all. Which is why they believed they could turn it around and win the league this year.

Are Liverpool 20-odd points worse this time? Well, only because of impossible circumstances.

And United aren’t quite as far off as the table makes it look.

I think every team in the Premier League suffers a little in being compared and judged by City’s standards.

They play a style of football that is unlike any other team in Europe now.

United need some top-quality signings this summer to get close to them.

Solskjaer has ensured they will be able to attract those players now.

And, as for Liverpool, they will still believe, with a full squad and fair wind, they can sail much closer to City.

I also think Liverpool still believe they’re a better side than United, no matter how much results tell us differently this season.

Which is why, at Old Trafford this afternoon, they will want to show that.

To ease the pain... even if it is just for a weekend.

Solskjaer can reach for stars to pile the pressure on City slickers