For decades Liverpool and Manchester United have jostled for supremacy on and off the pitch. For much of the 1990s and 2000s such was the dominance competitively and financially by United that the gap had widened significantly and, with the United behemoth scoring legions of fans in key overseas markets it showed little sign of slowing down.
But the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era at Old Trafford left United without a defined strategy, his departure coming three years on from Liverpool coming under new ownership in the shape of Fenway Sports Group.
The strategy from FSG has been pretty clear from the off; to grow revenue streams to a point that supports ongoing investment in the team. It is a virtuous circle where success underpins financial performance to a large degree and financial performance supports what Jurgen Klopp is able to achieve on the field.
