Sir Alex Ferguson's Man Utd and Liverpool 'worry' came true - but it may be over now

On June 25, 2020, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool were crowned Premier League champions for the first time in history. They hadn’t won the league since 1990, making it their first title victory since before the Premier League era began.

Not only this - the Reds had also won the Champions League in the previous season, beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final. Liverpool didn’t just look good during this time - they looked unstoppable.

Meanwhile, in that same season, Manchester United could only manage a third place finish - a whopping 33 points separated them from their bitter rivals. While Liverpool were collecting major trophies left, right and centre, United’s trophy cabinet was collecting nothing but dust.

Alex Ferguson noted his concern of what Liverpool might achieve back in 2016, saying: “He has done a really good job and revived Liverpool’s enthusiasm. It can happen that big clubs lose it. For two decades, Liverpool changed managers without building their own identity.

“You can now well and truly sense that you have to count them in this year. You can see Klopp’s dedication on the sideline, I’m convinced his work in training is similar.

“He’s a strong personality. That’s absolutely vital at a big club. I’m worried about him because the one thing United don’t want is Liverpool to get above us.”

Since Fergie made those comments, Manchester United have won just one trophy - the Europa League, back in 2017. Liverpool, on the other hand, have won the Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup and the League Cup in that timeframe. It seemed as though the balance has well and truly shifted in the Merseyside club’s favour.

However, now, the gap between Liverpool and Manchester United is nowhere near as cavernous as it once was. In fact - some may believe that it has completely closed.

Since Erik Ten Hag’s appointment earlier in 2022, United have looked like a different beast (despite a shaky start). Liverpool, meanwhile, have started to stagnate somewhat. When the two teams met this season, it was the Red Devils who came out on top a score of 2-1.

Currently, Manchester United are fourth in the Premier League table with 35 points, while Liverpool are 6th with 28. It certainly appears as if United have regained the edge over their rivals - but one question still remains. Have United progressed or have Liverpool regressed?