- The two most successful clubs in England meet in Europe for the first time tonight but which side is bigger?
With 80 major honours between them there is no doubt Liverpool and Manchester United are the two biggest clubs in English football.
Despite both sides enduring trickier times of late, Jurgen Klopp and Louis van Gaal will both feel this season's UEFA Europa League represents the perfect opportunity to return to winning silverware.
But which one is the bigger club? As the two giants of English football meet in Europe for the first time in history, Melissa Reddy and Kris Voakes, Liverpool and Manchester United correspondents respectively, take up the debate...
In an exclusive interview with Liverpool legend John Barnes detailed how on England duty, Bryan Robson and other Manchester United superstars would sit around trying to uncover the secrets to Liverpool’s success. Despite the Red Devils having the bigger names in the 70s and 80s, the Merseysiders had the better team.
It was Liverpool’s success and putting a stop to it that was the biggest driving force of Alex Ferguson’s tenure. He was intent on knocking the club on the other side of the M62 “off their f***ing perch”, and while the Reds largely self imploded, it stung to watch United run past them in the 90s and the years since.
United’s most successful manager drew inspiration from Liverpool’s greatest: Ferguson used to listen to tapes of Bill Shankly and encouraged his players to do the same when he was in charge at Aberdeen. He was enthralled by the passion and eloquence of the Reds boss and dined on his teachings.
Often, it is easy to reduce the influence of teams to trophies - Liverpool still lead United in terms of major honours - but it would be irresponsible to ignore how much the Reds’ success motivated that of their rivals.
Neither club is currently where they want to be and would’ve expected their first-ever European meeting to come in the Champions League rather than Thursday night football, but Liverpool and United are still global giants of the game
. The two-legged, last-16 Europa League tie will be headline news worldwide, and is the biggest fixture of Jurgen Klopp’s spell in England thus far. It could also spell the end of Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford. There's much more to play for than progress in the competition.
May the best team win.
Despite both sides enduring trickier times of late, Jurgen Klopp and Louis van Gaal will both feel this season's UEFA Europa League represents the perfect opportunity to return to winning silverware.
But which one is the bigger club? As the two giants of English football meet in Europe for the first time in history, Melissa Reddy and Kris Voakes, Liverpool and Manchester United correspondents respectively, take up the debate...
In an exclusive interview with Liverpool legend John Barnes detailed how on England duty, Bryan Robson and other Manchester United superstars would sit around trying to uncover the secrets to Liverpool’s success. Despite the Red Devils having the bigger names in the 70s and 80s, the Merseysiders had the better team.
It was Liverpool’s success and putting a stop to it that was the biggest driving force of Alex Ferguson’s tenure. He was intent on knocking the club on the other side of the M62 “off their f***ing perch”, and while the Reds largely self imploded, it stung to watch United run past them in the 90s and the years since.
United’s most successful manager drew inspiration from Liverpool’s greatest: Ferguson used to listen to tapes of Bill Shankly and encouraged his players to do the same when he was in charge at Aberdeen. He was enthralled by the passion and eloquence of the Reds boss and dined on his teachings.
Often, it is easy to reduce the influence of teams to trophies - Liverpool still lead United in terms of major honours - but it would be irresponsible to ignore how much the Reds’ success motivated that of their rivals.
. The two-legged, last-16 Europa League tie will be headline news worldwide, and is the biggest fixture of Jurgen Klopp’s spell in England thus far. It could also spell the end of Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford. There's much more to play for than progress in the competition.
May the best team win.
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