England’s two most decorated clubs, Manchester United and Liverpool, are having contrary runs of form at either end of the M62, but is this an anomaly or a turning of the tide?
United continued their purple patch on Sunday, beating Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final to earn the club’s first trophy since 2017 and Erik Ten Hag’s first since taking over last year.
First half goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford, highlighted in last week’s column as this season’s standout performers, led to a comfortable victory at Wembley, once a common stomping ground for the Red Devils.
They remain the only club in Europe to be in contention for four trophies, after beating Barcelona to advance in the Europa League and with the FA Cup and Premier League still possibilities.
It is eerily similar to the position that Liverpool found themselves in last season, with the team winning the Carabao and FA Cup, later finishing second in the Premier and Champion’s Leagues.
But this season has been one of stagnation for the Mersey-siders.
They are currently wallowing in 7th position in the league and face an uphill battle to overturn a 5-2 drubbing from Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champion’s League round of 16 match-up.
Couple this with early exits from the domestic cups and Liverpool’s chance of a trophy in 2023 seems all but impossible.
A 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday did little to build momentum as Jurgen Klopp’s seven-year curse looms large.
The German manager’s reign at Liverpool heralded a new era of excellence at the club, but an underwhelming season has caused some to dig into his managerial past.
A high-tempo, all-or-nothing manager, Klopp’s teams are successful when there is a complete buy in from everyone involved with the club.
His outsized personality and constant energy is a huge part of that, but questions have been raised about its continued sustainability.
At both of Klopp’s previous clubs, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, he had early success but later left after a downturn in results in the seventh season.
Whether this trend continues at Liverpool remains to be seen, but something needs to change at the club, either through investment in new players or a new managerial philosophy.
Klopp has done more than enough to earn goodwill from ownership and fans alike, but in the world’s most competitive league, positive memories only go so far.
For now, Champions League qualification would go a long way to securing the signature of number one target Jude Bellingham, seen by many as the key to unlock Liverpool’s midfield struggles.
Aside from adding his obvious quality, spending the £100-million plus for Bellingham would be a massive statement of support from the board.
Until that point comes, United fans will no doubt enjoy the returning feeling of superiority over their scouser counterparts.
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