The difference is in 10 points. But go back to last April and it was six years. “We have to admit that they are now six years ahead of us,” Ralf Rangnick said. Liverpool beat Manchester United 4-0. He finished off a 9-0 overall victory in the league season, the biggest of a rivalry dating back to 1895.
Rangnick’s penchant for outspokenness probably didn’t endear him to salary managers – saying that United needed “open heart surgery” was an accusation for the Glazers and Ed Woodward, as well as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the players – yet, in his own way, he was unchallenged. United had wasted years Liverpool‘s superior strategy had given them a huge advantage. Manchester United Managers don’t need to identify Manchester City or Liverpool as role models, but at that stage Rangnick usually did. As Liverpool chased the foursome and United had their worst season since the 1980s, they had bigger problems than the lack of diplomacy displayed by an interim manager.
Liverpool finished last season 34 points ahead of their rivals; goal difference plus 68, United’s was zero. They were separated not by the distance of the East Lancs Road, but by an ocean bay. And now they’re separated by 10 points: even that may have represented progress, but to tell the details. in favor of United.
Plum skin Witch‘s first win was against Liverpool; Nine days after a 4-0 humiliation against Brentford, eight days after Thomas Frank’s team ran 13.8km in 35-degree heat to make up for the miles left behind. Sometimes revivals begin slowly. It seemed like it started suddenly. Marcus Rashford He scored his first goal of the season, signaling the transition from the worst season of his career to the best. Lisandro MartinezShot at halftime in Brentford, it was excellent and Harry Maguire fell. Ten Hag’s skills with the substitutes came to light when, despite an encouraging first half, Anthony Elanga was ejected and Anthony Martial stepped in to restructure the attack. Eight minutes later, moved to the left wing, Rashford rushed to Martial’s pass to score. Cristiano RonaldoPlaying the entire 90 minutes at Brentford, he was limited to a late substitute role.
Erik ten Hag ended United’s six-year trophy starvation by winning the Carabao Cup.
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A new team was forming. Six months later, it was United, not Liverpool. continuing on four fronts. Ten Hag’s United replaces Klopp’s Liverpool As Carabao Cup winners. Then in the bowels of Wembley, in the trophy in front of him, the Dutch player said, “I love United.” These weren’t words Rangnick thought he would utter when he became United’s sharpest critic.
This season, Klopp took Rashford as an example to inspire his players and remind them that they too can change their destiny. Perhaps it reflected an admiration as well as generosity: Rashford might have felt like an ideal Klopp player had he not been for the Manchester red half. Even though he is Egyptian, he replaces Mohamed Salah as the most prolific winger. brought himself 20 goals for the campaign Wednesday.
in midfield, Casemiro Liverpool live the season they hoped for Fabinho to want. It is a Brazilian catalyst –In Fred’s words, “a great leader” – and the other was left for a teenager, in Stefan Bajcetic. On defence, they conceded the same number of goals, but if the improvement came early for United – their stats are still skewed by four meals against Brentford and six against City – it was a more recent phenomenon for Liverpool and even then they did not concede four goals in a row. has been Interrupted by letting Real Madrid five.
Perhaps this means that the burden of proof now rests on them. Assuming United are unlikely to win the title and are safely placed in the top four, it looks like Liverpool need more of a victory. With only two losses in 32 matches across all competitions, Ten Hag’s team has more consistency, while Liverpool has a more enigmatic feel. Taking 10 points from four games could be the start of a revival that takes them back to the Champions League, but United can help ensure otherwise.
Liverpool are chasing the top four but United could take a hit with their first win at Anfield since 2016.
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History is on their side, but they are a team that makes history, often for the better, sometimes for the worse. United’s only win at Anfield during Klopp’s tenure came in the third month of his reign. Since then, they have scored one in seven visits scored by Jesse Lingard on a day as Liverpool finished off Jose Mourinho. Meanwhile, with 10, Salah became the top scorer in the history of the competition; five came alone last season.
Solskjaer may argue that United are on their way to finishing ahead of Liverpool for the second time in just three seasons, but a seismic role seems to have been reversed this season in the tale of successes and failures. The question remains whether there is a longer-term change, whether Ten Hag like Sir Alex Ferguson before him will take Liverpool off his perch. But for now, while Liverpool’s six-year success under Klopp has not been erased, Rangnick has been left like a man who underestimated his successor. Or maybe six years have passed quickly and Manchester United have mastered the art of time travel.