Jamie Carragher has likened the job facing soon-to-be Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag to that of the task Jurgen Klopp took on after joining Liverpool in October 2015.
Appointed at a time when the Reds were not challenging for trophies and were no longer Champions League regulars, the German helped to rebuild the club to a position of strength following a number of shrewd decisions on and off the pitch.
The current position United find themselves in has some similarities, though many would argue there are plenty of additional deep-rooted issues at Old Trafford that could take years to fix.
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Discussing how the project Ten Hag will oversee with the Red Devils resembles the assignment Klopp was given at Anfield nearly seven years ago, Carragher told Sky Sports: "I think it is very similar, it really is. It was possibly a harder job for Jurgen Klopp because the funds for any Manchester United we've seen over the last ten years, and going forward, are probably a lot more than what Jurgen Klopp had when he first came in.
"People talk about how long it should take Ten Hag and there's talk of Liverpool and Man City being five years ahead - someone even mentioned ten years ahead. I think it is absolute rubbish. A top manager gets a top club back on track within a couple of years. That's not say to win the title or the Champions League, but they get them back on track and competing.
"Liverpool, United and all the great clubs should be judged against the Premier League and the Champions League. Not necessarily winning it, but they've got to be in with a shout. Liverpool were Champions League runners-up in season three [under Klopp] and it goes from there: Champions League winners, title winners. So this talk of five years and longer is nonsense."
Gary Neville, on the other hand, believes the above comparison is not as a relevant as United's new coach will encounter issues Klopp did not have to overcome.
Asked if he agreed with Carragher's point of the current Liverpool boss taking on a tougher role, the ex-Manchester United right-back responded: "I don't think so. When Jurgen Klopp came in, there were no real set winners at that time when he came in.
"I liken the job that Ten Hag has got at taking on these two unbelievable managers in Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, who have set foundations at their clubs for five years, to Gerard Houllier's task when he came in when Sir Alex Ferguson and Wenger were set or when Rafa Benitez came in and Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and Wenger were set.
"You're coming into Manchester United now when there's two or three great managers, I put Tuchel in there as well, who are set in their jobs. When Klopp came in, Guardiola was just starting, Manchester United were in the midst of changing managers regularly and there were no set foundations at any big club. The job Ten Hag has got is absolutely huge. The job Jurgen Klopp had was huge as well, so I'm not underplaying that - it's outrageous what he has done.
"We all hope that Ten Hag comes in and blows everybody away and that Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola blow up somehow, but they're not blowing up. They're achieving the same numbers of points year in, year out. If their consistency remains, and there's no reason to say it won't, Ten Hag has a massive job to make up that points gap."
