Sir Alex Ferguson had massive worries over Jurgen Klopp taking over at Liverpool five years ago - and it turns out he was right.
Manchester United were utterly humiliated at Anfield on Tuesday night when the Rest trounced them 4-0 to keep their quadruple hopes alive. It exhibited the sheer differences between the two teams - one on the ascendancy and the other nearing rock bottom.
While Klopp is leading the Reds to potentially the best campaign a team has ever seen on these shores, United have their worst-ever points tally at this stage of the season in the Premier League. And this is by no accident, it shows the difference between two clubs ran completely differently.
Jamie Carragher told Gary Neville on his podcast about a conversation he had with United legend Ferguson in 2017, revealing that the Scotsman was nervous over the impact that Klopp could have at Anfield. He said: "When Jurgen Klopp first came to Liverpool we knew he was a character, he was a personality, I actually said at the time this wasn’t a signing just for Liverpool, it was for the Premier League.
“You knew there was something special. I played in a game at Old Trafford, I think it was Michael Carrick’s testimonial, and Alex Ferguson went around the dressing room shaking hands, saying ‘thanks for coming’, I think he was manager of one of the teams.
“Jurgen Klopp had been at the club about a month and he [Ferguson] came to me and said, ‘you’ve got a manager’. I went, ‘oh yeah, good, Jurgen Klopp’s made a decent start’, and he [Ferguson] went, ‘no, no, I’m worried’.”
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And Fergie's foresight proved correct as five years later, there is a stark gulf between the two most successful clubs in the country. Pluck someone out who has no idea about football and tell them who has won the most titles in England based on Tuesday night's evidence, never would they say United.
But this is where the Old Trafford outfit are - nearly 10 years after Ferguson's retirement. It was always assumed that the club would take a knock after his departure - but that wound has festered and become something that now looks almost incurable.
Erik ten Hag is the man most likely assigned to root out the poison and start anew but it will take a miracle to overhaul this team and get them back to where they ought to be in the time that managers are given at United.
Across the M62, Liverpool have already inexplicably given them the blueprint, though without the charismatic Klopp at the helm, United are in danger of falling further and further behind.
