Jurgen Klopp (Getty Images)
- Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was on a mission to “get rid of Liverpool from their perch”
- The Red Devils became the most successful team in England after winning 19 titles in the 2010/11 season.
- Ferguson predicted Liverpool’s rise after the Reds appointed Jurgen Klopp as manager in 2016.
It is known that when Sir Alex Ferguson arrived Manchester United way back in 1986, he was on a mission.
When he left in 2013, that mission was to dethrone Liverpool as England’s most successful team – had been achieved.
“This isn’t just a job for me. It’s a mission,” he said in 1988.
“I’m deadly serious about it – some people would consider it too serious. We’ll get there and believe me, when it happens, life will change for Liverpool and everyone else – dramatically.”
By the end of the 1989/90 season, Liverpool had won their 18th league crown while the Red Devils were miles away with only seven titles, winning the league last time in the 1966/67 campaign.
Ferguson coached United for the eighth championship title in the 1992/93 season – their first in 26 years and the first in the Premier League era, changing the club’s trajectory for the next two decades.
What followed was distressing to witness Liverpool and their fans and were left in the shadow of United, longing for a repeat of the glory days of the 70s and 80s – a time when the Merseyside Reds were the most dominant force in England.
By the end of the 2010/11 campaign, Manchester United had finally completed Ferguson’s mission by winning 19 league titles, overtaking Liverpool. When he retired in 2013, the Red Devils won their 20th crown in Ferguson’s last season as club manager.
“My biggest challenge was to defeat Liverpool from their fucking perch. And you can print it out,” Ferguson said in response to former Liverpool captain Alan Hansen’s Daily Telegraph column in 2003.
Now, in 2020, Liverpool has officially ended its 30-year drought after winning the crown of its 19th league with a record seven games left to play.
THE ARRIVAL OF JURGEN KLOPP
Ferguson himself had foreseen this following the arrival of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in 2016.
“He did a great job and revived Liverpool’s enthusiasm. Big clubs may lose him. For two decades, Liverpool has changed managers without building their identity,” said Ferguson in 2016.
“You can see Klopp’s dedication on the sidelines, I am convinced that his training work is similar. He is a strong personality. He is absolutely vital in a big club. I am worried about him because the only thing (Manchester) United don ‘ I want Liverpool to overtake us. “
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, however, was not convinced by Klopp despite the German’s impressive records with Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.
Apparently, all the Liverpool needed was a taste of silverware to roll the ball under Klopp.
Defeat against Sevilla in the 2016/17 Europa League final wounded, but a year later Liverpool was gutted when they lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final. In 2019, however, Klopp’s accusations overtook Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final after City clinched the Premier League title by one point.
That victory was sweet, but it also served as fuel for a championship push.
Over the course of his nearly five years, Klopp has earned a reputation as a manager who wins, but also improves his players.
Captain Jordan Henderson is an example with his leadership skills exceeding expectations, but his improvement stems more from the field than anything else and was one of the most important players during the 2019/20 campaign.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was brought into the club’s academy ranks and grabbed his first team opportunity with both hands. Andrew Robertson was an unknown left back bought from Hull City for a paltry 8 million pounds, but his energy on the field alongside his left side showed the typical eye of Klopp’s talent.
Liverpool’s three dominant rulers – Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah – have been ruthless on offense in the past two years and have thrived under Klopp’s leadership.
But Klopp’s master stroke was selling Philippe Coutinho for a disco fee and signing defender Virgil Van Dijk for £ 75 million. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker, for £ 66.8 million, then completed the puzzle for the Liverpool team.
These signatures helped bring the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and now the Premier League title.
The average age of the current Liverpool team is youthful 25.36 years which means that many of these players still have their best years ahead.
Liverpool have a rhythm on them now and the melody that Klopp is playing should write warning signs for their rivals.
Ferguson, before many, saw the warning signs.
