Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes Manchester United's biggest failure is not landing Jurgen Klopp before he made the move to Anfield.
United were linked with the German after Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down and reports suggested he was contacted about the role. However, with the job at Borussia Dortmund unfinished, Klopp opted to remain in Germany for a few more years before he eventually joined Liverpool.
Since Ferguson's departure, the Red Devils have now had eight managers in the space of nine years, including interims. Erik ten Hag is the latest to take charge, but the 20-time league champions are struggling having lost their opening two games of the season.
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While United's failures in recent years have resulted in criticism of the ownership, Murphy believes Klopp would have overcome the challenges at the club and brought them more silverware.
"The biggest compliment I can give Jurgen Klopp is that every Manchester United fan who barracks him tomorrow night would actually love to have him at Old Trafford," the pundit wrote in his column for the Daily Mail. "I’m convinced if Klopp were manager of United, they wouldn’t have gone five years without a trophy — and Liverpool wouldn’t have won everything, unless they’d somehow managed to get Pep Guardiola instead!
"United might have been a harder club for Klopp to manage — the pressure is on for marquee signings and you wonder about the executive reaction if he told them he wanted Sadio Mane from Southampton rather than Paul Pogba in 2016. But I believe Klopp would have overcome it all, even at Old Trafford. He is strong-minded, knows how he wants to play and the players who fit into that.
"He wouldn’t have been dictated to but he’d be the first to acknowledge he had an advantage going to Liverpool, where Michael Edwards was already there as technical director and played a huge part in recruitment. My gut feeling is he would have brought United to his way of thinking rather than the other way."
Liverpool and United face off on Monday night with both teams in search of their first win of the league season. Klopp's side have drawn their opening two games against Fulham and Crystal Palace and will hope to put things right at Old Trafford.
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