3 weeks ago
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As bad as Liverpool’s current form might be, fans can always easily console themselves with the knowledge that, at Old Trafford, things are much, much worse.
Manchester United’s freefall has shown no signs of slowing down - in fact, since Ruben Amorim took charge, the decline has only been hastened. The Portuguese boss has overseen a quite remarkable period for a club that, not too long ago, had ambitions of pulling further ahead of Liverpool’s tally of league titles.
Not only have the Reds drawn back level with United now, but the Red Devils appear to be closer to relegation than challenging for the Premier League crown again, having finished a dismal 15th last season.
Things haven’t got any better this season, with United sitting 10th and having suffered a humiliating defeat to League Two side Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup. Even after three consecutive defeats, Liverpool’s current predicament doesn’t even compare to its rival’s downfall.
And while Reds fans will be enjoying seeing the calls grow for another manager to be sacked at Old Trafford, they may also be breathing a sigh of relief.
After Jurgen Klopp announced his impending departure at the start of 2024, and before some fans would have even heard of Arne Slot, Amorim had emerged as the favorite to take over at Anfield.
The club ultimately decided against hiring him, with his preference for a three-at-the-back system seen as too disruptive for Liverpool’s squad - something which United should have taken into account before eventually taking him off Sporting CP’s hands last year.
Despite calls for Amorim to be fired getting louder and louder now, United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has given him his backing - and even suggested he will be given three years to turn things around.
That is a remarkable show of faith, given what has been delivered so far by Amorim, and it has left some prominent pundits in disbelief.
Danny Murphy is among those who thinks Ratcliffe’s comments will come back to bite him, with the former Liverpool midfielder clearly not having the same faith in Amorim.
"If United lose their next three or four games, the pressure from the fans will get too much and the board will have no choice but to sack Amorim,” Murphy told online betting site BetWright.
"Ratcliffe would have been better off saying that the board are backing the manager and that they’re being patient, whilst recognizing that it isn’t going to be the easiest of tasks – but it would at least show that they are right behind him.
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"The reality is you can’t make any guarantees in football. You could argue that with Liverpool winning the league in Arne Slot’s first season at the club - you can’t make a guarantee that he will be there in three years and they’re flying.
"In my opinion, it was ill-advised of Ratcliffe to not have an answer prepared for each of those questions and it will probably come back to bite him in six months’ time."
Even Rio Ferdinand - often one of United’s biggest defenders, even amid what has been an embarrassing year for the club - took issue with Ratcliffe, and his comparison between Amorim and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
"I understand the sentiment– if you go through the facts, I don't think it's the right person to draw a comparison with,” Ferdinand said on his podcast. “You look at Arteta – there are similarities in some of the stats.
"The big one is that he improved the team from 10th to finish eighth in his first year. Amorim took his team from 14th to finish 15th. There was also flexibility in the way Arteta had his team.
"I think he had about seven different formations in his first 50 matches, just trying things out. The improvement line would have been a bit more consistent, and you go, 'I can see it happening'.
"Whereas with Amorim, you look at him and there isn't as much consistency or positives that are coming out of it that you're going, 'oh, I can actually see it clearly, it's hitting me between my eyes, I couldn't let this guy go'.”
Clearly, Liverpool made the right call when deciding against hiring Amorim. His defiance in sticking to his much-maligned system has plunged United into more and more trouble, and it’s hard to see how he improves things if he is given the three years that Ratcliffe suggests he will get.
The Reds are in a bad spot at the moment, and need to get back to winning ways against United on Sunday - but who knows what position they could have been in had Amorim succeeded Klopp.
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