I was about 13 when Ferguson talked about knocking Liverpool off their f**cking perch and for the past 17 years, I've had to live with Manchester United fans making that well and truly known at every single opportunity.
Fast forward to today and the tables have turned but while I have had to sit and take the stick for over a decade where are all the United fans now? Where are the 18-year-old lads on Facebook who used to wax lyrical about Wayne Rooney, where are the "Beckham" replica shirt wearers that used to crowd the local pub? I'll tell you where... in hiding, cause they can't hack it.
This Manchester United side is absolutely abysmal yet weirdly, as Kopites, we still find ourselves concerned about the trip to Old Trafford. Why is that?
Well, I'll tell you why, it's because as a Liverpool fan who's about to turn 30, I can count on one hand the times I remember watching the Reds win at the self-titled "Theatre of Dreams". It just doesn't happen and it hasn't happened in five years.
Last season despite Klopp's side picking up a whopping 97 points, the game at Old Trafford was absolutely horrendous. A terrible advert for football with arguably two of the biggest sides in the world game seeing out a 0-0 draw. Absolute snore-fest.
This season though, the gulf has widened, it's more of an abyss to be honest. United, with Ole at the wheel, at the time of writing are one point away from the relegation zone. Liverpool, on the other hand, are unbeaten and five points clear at the top of the table.
United look soulless and even after bringing in players like Harry Maguire and Wan-Bissaka it doesn't appear to have been enough to solve the situation. With rumours Paul Pogba may or may not be fit to start and also the influential David De Gea unable to play this surely should be a chance for Liverpool to add another Old Trafford victory to the list?
I sometimes feel like as Liverpool fans we're scared to be confident, we've learnt from experience that it's better to wait until after the event but I'm sorry, if I'm not allowed to feel confident as European Champions sitting pretty on our perch going into a game against a piss poor Man United side then when can I feel confident?
Whatever happens tomorrow I trust the Reds will give it their all. Part of me wonders whether Solskjaer will opt park the bus tomorrow but will the United faithful really accept watching their beloved team defend in desperation against a swift Liverpool attack for 90 minutes? I'm not so sure.
Roll on kick-off, if we're going to stay on our f**cking perch and keep Man City at bay, we need this one.
Fast forward to today and the tables have turned but while I have had to sit and take the stick for over a decade where are all the United fans now? Where are the 18-year-old lads on Facebook who used to wax lyrical about Wayne Rooney, where are the "Beckham" replica shirt wearers that used to crowd the local pub? I'll tell you where... in hiding, cause they can't hack it.
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| Image via The Mirror |
This Manchester United side is absolutely abysmal yet weirdly, as Kopites, we still find ourselves concerned about the trip to Old Trafford. Why is that?
Well, I'll tell you why, it's because as a Liverpool fan who's about to turn 30, I can count on one hand the times I remember watching the Reds win at the self-titled "Theatre of Dreams". It just doesn't happen and it hasn't happened in five years.
Last season despite Klopp's side picking up a whopping 97 points, the game at Old Trafford was absolutely horrendous. A terrible advert for football with arguably two of the biggest sides in the world game seeing out a 0-0 draw. Absolute snore-fest.
This season though, the gulf has widened, it's more of an abyss to be honest. United, with Ole at the wheel, at the time of writing are one point away from the relegation zone. Liverpool, on the other hand, are unbeaten and five points clear at the top of the table.
United look soulless and even after bringing in players like Harry Maguire and Wan-Bissaka it doesn't appear to have been enough to solve the situation. With rumours Paul Pogba may or may not be fit to start and also the influential David De Gea unable to play this surely should be a chance for Liverpool to add another Old Trafford victory to the list?
I sometimes feel like as Liverpool fans we're scared to be confident, we've learnt from experience that it's better to wait until after the event but I'm sorry, if I'm not allowed to feel confident as European Champions sitting pretty on our perch going into a game against a piss poor Man United side then when can I feel confident?
Whatever happens tomorrow I trust the Reds will give it their all. Part of me wonders whether Solskjaer will opt park the bus tomorrow but will the United faithful really accept watching their beloved team defend in desperation against a swift Liverpool attack for 90 minutes? I'm not so sure.
Roll on kick-off, if we're going to stay on our f**cking perch and keep Man City at bay, we need this one.