Liverpool has five more points than Manchester United and Everton combined so far this season. Having wrapped up the Premier League title with four games to spare, the campaign couldn’t have gone much better for Arne Slot’s side.
And drawing level with Manchester United on 20 league titles— with only one team looking likely to move onto 21 next — has gone down about as well as you would imagine at Old Trafford. Gary Neville was heartbroken during Sky Sports’ coverage of the Liverpool vs Spurs game, and Rio Ferdinand has been desperately scrambling to save face.
“They’re [Liverpool] the most successful club in the land, but they’re not the biggest club,” the center-back insisted on his YouTube channel. “It’s a fact.
“You go anywhere in the world, there are more Man United fans than there are Liverpool fans. But that will change if they remain successful and Man United don’t. There will be a swing of new fans who adopt successful teams.
“If Liverpool become that over the next 10 years then they have a chance to balance that up, in terms of the biggest club in the world right now. But right now it’s a landslide win for Man United in terms of being the biggest in the world.”
Can you be the biggest club in the world when you’re sitting four places above already-relegated Ipswich Town and 22 points off the top four, though? The current status of Manchester United is so dire that making the argument that it remains the biggest team around seems almost laughable.
It is in Ferdinand’s interests to insist on that, but there aren’t many who would agree. Right now, it doesn’t feel like the ideal time for anyone associated with Manchester United to be making the case.
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“You have to respect the team that have won the title, they have been the best team,” Gary Neville admitted over the weekend. “It is one of the great coaching performances we have seen, to come in and not get players, and still achieve this, you have to hand it to him.
“It is a massive deal. When you think of the importance of a league title, the managers at Liverpool and United always talk about your bread and butter being the league. You could debate the most successful club when United were on 20.
“Obviously Liverpool have more European Cups, but the painful thing to say is the debate is over for a period until United become successful again and win leagues.
“It should cause real tremors at Old Trafford. Liverpool will be the most successful club after today, and that should cause heartache and pain. It took a lot to get ahead of Liverpool, and now that will be gone.”
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As it stands, Liverpool comes out on top for European success, recent success, overall success in terms of trophy count, and infrastructure in terms of the stadium and training ground that it has. Manchester United still has a substantial global appeal, but it is not as if Liverpool is lacking in that department — and in the immediate future, the trophy gap is only likely to widen.
“It fries my head. I’ve got to be honest, when I was at Man United, we were miles ahead, won leagues, etc,” Ferdinand said.
“We clawed it back and then were ahead. I was part of that and it felt great. Now I’m just sitting and watching it before my eyes, just all sliding away. Liverpool have become more successful in the time since I retired, but you’ve just got to accept it.”
It doesn’t sound that much like Rio is ready to accept it just yet. If even Gary Neville is conceding defeat to Liverpool, though, that tells you all you need to know about where the right side of the argument lies.
