United live in fear of losing touch with buoyant Liverpool
English game’s big two meet tomorrow with Manchester club stuck in a downward spiral
It was once said among senior figures at Manchester United that it was more important for Liverpool to be outside the top four – and, therefore, outside the Champions League – than for United to be in it. The reasoning was that despite decades of underachievement, Liverpool were still one of the two biggest clubs in England, with a huge global reach.
What, then, would happen if they actually enjoyed tangible, sustained success? United needed Liverpool to stay out of contention, and only six years ago, there was little prospect of that changing. In January 2013, when he was told Liverpool were 21 points behind United going into a clash between the clubs at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson said: “I never even thought about that until it was mentioned on the television. I look at that mob [Manchester City] that’s behind us.” Ferguson, who ended up winning his last title that season, added that it would be a “disaster” not to be in the top four for any “big club” with ambition.
When it comes to assessing the dynamic between United and Liverpool, it is another Ferguson quote that resonates – from 2002, when he growled that “my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool off their f------ perch” – adding a waspish coda – “you can print that” – and it has been printed thousands of times since. “Perch” was an unusual word to use, and it was clearly deliberate that Liverpool’s chief executive, Peter Moore, at the recent World Football Summit in Spain, remarked: “We are back on our perch, as we famously say.”
While it could be strongly argued that Moore’s claim is premature, English football’s biggest clubs meet at Old Trafford tomorrow with the gap between them a remarkable 15 points after just eight games. Never before has it been so great at this stage of a Premier League season – not even during Roy Hodgson’s disastrous spell in 2010 when Liverpool were in the bottom three. United are only two points outside the relegation places, and could be in the bottom three if results go against them this weekend. The nightmare scenario for United is Liverpool winning, equalling City’s record of 18 league victories in a row, condemning United to the humiliation of being below the dreaded line. Nothing would highlight the contrasting trajectories of the clubs more.
And it is not just on the pitch. Up to now, United have comforted themselves with their unchallenged revenues, but last
month, they projected that income would be £560-£580million this season, the first fall for more than a decade, mainly because of the failure to qualify for this year’s Champions League, and revenues will drop if they do not make it again this season. For example, the Adidas kit deal contains a penalty clause which, after two seasons of failure, will mean United are paid £21million less for each year outside the Champions League.
Income at Liverpool now stands at £455million after last season’s Champions League win. As a neat contrast, their kit manufacturer, New Balance, began a case at the High Court yesterday to prevent the club switching to Nike in a £70 million-a-year deal.
The comparison between the two stadiums is also indicative: Old Trafford may be the country’s biggest club ground, but with its leaky roof and scratchy facilities, it is in need of a revamp. There have been no significant improvements since 2006, when the capacity was raised to 76,000. Anfield, meanwhile, has been transformed by the new £110million Main Stand, and further work is planned.
The ruthless focus which Liverpool’s US owners have used to drive the club forward is contrast with the approach of United’s US owners. The correlation between on-field success and off-field commercial activity is undeniable. United have a long way to fall but are slipping, and sponsors want to be associated with success, as do the next generation of fans.
Privately, United accept that, with the football, they are trying to copy Liverpool, with a clear change of transfer policy, buying younger players, creating a 15-strong team of backroom data analysts, and clearing out underperforming big names or those who do not want to be there. The money has, previously, made United lazy and complacent.
It does seem odd that, first, it has taken them so long to do this and, secondly, that they still have not appointed a sporting director in the way that Liverpool have invested in Michael Edwards.
A lot hangs on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, which raises another concern: is he a manager of the stature of Jurgen Klopp who, famously, turned down United because he, like Pep Guardiola, was unsure as to what the club
wanted? Klopp broke Bayern Munich’s dominance in Germany, has a proven track record, a big personality and, even in his apparently first difficult season at Liverpool, led them to a League Cup and Europa League final. Beyond a stellar playing career, Solskjaer’s CV includes being relegated with Cardiff City, and two spells in charge of Norwegian club, Molde. He is also, unlike Klopp, not a training ground coach.
Klopp rejected United as he was unsure what was wanted
If Liverpool win the league, it will end a 30-year wait. United had 26 years in the wilderness until Ferguson claimed the first of his 13 titles in 1993. There is another line from Ferguson that United should bear in mind: “From adversity, the really illustrious clubs return to their cycle of winning.”
The fear at Old Trafford is that Liverpool have returned to that cycle, while United cannot kick their losing habit.