Liverpool vs Red Devils: An Eternal Rivalry That Has Now Turned Around

Gilabola.com – In the past, when Liverpool FC was considered a club of the past and Manchester United FC was the king of English football, who would have thought that the situation would reverse? Now, ahead of the meeting of these two giants at Anfield, Liverpool is on the path of progress, while United is trapped in the shadow of its own glorious history.

From Medals of the Past to Domination of the Present

This week at Anfield, Liverpool handed out league winners’ medals to former players who were previously ineligible for medals due to old rules.

Legendary names such as Terry McDermott, Alan Kennedy, David Fairclough and Jan Mølby were also present.

However, what is interesting is that in the past United might have laughed at this nostalgic moment, now they are no longer in a position to do so.

When Fenway Sports Group took over Liverpool in 2010, the club was mired in the Premier League relegation zone and had not been champion of England for 20 years. Their annual income is only half that of United.

It took a decade to turn things around. It was only in 2020 that Liverpool won their 20th league title. Now, no one laughs anymore.

High Standards vs Low Expectations

This meeting at Anfield illustrates the different directions of travel of the two clubs. For Liverpool, three consecutive defeats is considered a “minor crisis”. Their standards are indeed very high now. United? They come with hope, not belief.

Last season, the 2-2 draw at Anfield was considered a bright spot for coach Rúben Amorim. But in reality, United is now far behind. Since the last time they won the league in 2013 with Alex Ferguson, the difference in total points with Liverpool has reached 177 points.

Liverpool now have 20 league titles—matching United—and almost matching their financial might.

How Close? Very close

From 1990 to 2020, United dominated with 13 Premier League titles. Liverpool only rose in the Jürgen Klopp era, even though they often lost narrowly to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City FC. Now, both of them have 20 league titles.

In terms of total major trophies, Liverpool is narrowly ahead with 47, while United has 44. Liverpool has six European Cup trophies, United three. Truly a duel that was almost a draw.

When the Wheel Turns

Roy Evans, a legendary figure from Liverpool in the 90s, knows how difficult it is to rebuild the club’s identity. “It takes a long time to climb to the top, but only 30 seconds to fall,” he said. Jan Mølby also admitted that in the 90s United went far and Liverpool were left behind.

United had hoped that the Klopp era would end quickly. But more than a year since Arne Slot arrived, signs of this have not appeared. Liverpool failed five times to break their title drought between 1997 and 2019, but United now rarely come close to the top.

Since Ferguson retired, they have only finished in second place once and that was 19 points behind City.

Money is still United’s weapon

Even though they are slumping on the pitch, United is still a giant in the commercial sector. Their revenue for the 2023-24 season will reach around €770.6 million or IDR 13.7 trillion—the fourth highest in Europe—ahead of Liverpool with €714.7 million or IDR 12.7 trillion.

United has an apparel contract worth around IDR 1.6 trillion per year with Adidas, while Liverpool has around IDR 1 trillion. United’s main sponsor, Snapdragon, pays around IDR 1 trillion per year, more than Liverpool’s Standard Chartered.

This advantage gives United a big opportunity if they can get up on the field. The plan to build a new Old Trafford stadium is also key. Even though Anfield is growing rapidly, United still has more room to grow.

Global Duel of Two Giants

In the eyes of the world, United and Liverpool remain at the peak of popularity. The absence of both of them at the Club World Cup last summer even made it difficult to sell TV rights. This weekend’s second game on Sky Sports will be a global spectacle with an estimated 600 million viewers worldwide—bigger than the Super Bowl.

In America, both United and Liverpool are still the two main magnets for Premier League fans. United is still ahead in the number of followers on platform X and Instagram—around 200 million—compared to Liverpool’s around 150 million. But Liverpool are now ahead in fan engagement, thanks to the effects of the Klopp era.

United’s Big Problem: Lack of Global Stars

One of the reasons Liverpool is now more attractive to the younger generation is the star player factor. In the list of the 26 highest rated players in the EA Sports FC 25 game, Liverpool has five names—Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak.

United? None. The lack of big icons means their appeal is slowly fading among young fans who tend to follow players rather than clubs.

Rivalry that Never Dies

Alex Ferguson once joked that there were too many Liverpool construction workers at Carrington. “They will steal my secret for Anfield,” he said. This half-joking sentence describes the intensity of the rivalry between these two big clubs.

Ferguson knows very well what Anfield means. He was the one who “dethroned Liverpool” in its prime, but history shows that glory is never permanent.

Now, it’s Liverpool’s turn to stand tall. Anfield on Sunday at 16.30 local time will be a big stage. Only three points are up for grabs, but prestige and self-esteem are much greater than that.