Liverpool vs Manchester United. A highlight fixture of any Premier League weekend. Two English giants that have met in every club competition conceivable for decades, but why is it still so important?
Liverpool's Golden Era
It’s honestly a straightforward answer. We’re the two biggest teams this country has ever produced—history, fan base, success, and revenue.
You won’t find two clubs in England that can reach the levels of Liverpool and United in those categories over the past 50+ years.
A fixture completely saturated in tradition, and every fan of either team can immediately draw on their favourite and most hated memory when it comes to these fixtures.
Like two heavyweight boxers, both of whom have completely dominated certain rounds of a fight. Liverpool walked the 70’s and 80’s, United took the next couple rounds in the 90’s and 00’s.
Haymaker after haymaker, with each one hitting that little bit sweeter as they both try to establish complete and total dominance over the other.
Through the eras of Shankly and Paisley, United couldn’t land a glove. In all honesty, very few in world football could. It was trophy after trophy after trophy. Title after title after title.
Taking our entire history into account, it’s the period of success unlike any other. Dominant football and a full trophy cabinet to suit.
But I wasn’t born in that era. I wasn’t born in an era where I could celebrate our historical peak, and in many ways, I feel I can provide appropriate insight. I don’t know what it felt like; I only know the facts and the figures, but I’m not backing those up with any emotion.
Manchester United's Dominance
I was, however, born and football mad during United’s period of utter dominance, and it was hell.
Every Monday morning at school was like running a gauntlet. The chances were that Liverpool had been below par and United had won.
You know which pupils and friends to avoid so that the shame of your weekend wouldn’t carry into your school week, but they were impossible to avoid. That’s just on a normal gameweek.
After a derby defeat, I often debated whether I should go to school or not. This was a particularly rough time to be a Liverpool fan because we were told success was always on the horizon, but actually, when we looked to the horizon, it was Sir Alex Ferguson, which meant more pain.
But that’s just my personal experience with this rivalry. There have been schoolkids, parents, colleagues, family members, and total strangers who have had unique interactions because of this fixture, and it always comes with a side order of bragging rights.
The Inescapable Rivalry
I’ve since left my hometown in the north of England and moved to the other side of the world, and I’ve still managed to befriend United fans. It’s a rivalry that is inescapable, and luckily for us, we’re in a time where we’ve seen a lot of success.
Fergie's leaving was like a cloud being lifted. Our oppressor is finally stepping down and passing the torch.
That torch has been passed 8 times since 2013, and it’s looking like it might be passed again if Rubin Amorim can’t get it right.
We’ve seen 4-0’s, 5-0’s & 7-0’s in that time, and as they were happening, one thing dawned on me. The saying ‘you can have too much of a good thing’ is absolute nonsense.
If we lost 36 games in a season and beat United home and away, I’d still throw it in their faces. It’s a game that transcends form and league position. It’s a must-win every time, and anything less is a letdown.
So that brings us to the present day. Liverpool v United at Anfield on a Sunday afternoon. The next installment in the North West saga. They’re still in a position of struggle and uncertainty, and we’ve forgotten how to play football in recent weeks but none of that matters on the weekend.
I’m writing this with almost a tone of arrogance because I’m convinced we’ll win comfortably, but ask me, 5 minutes before kick off on the weekend, and it’ll be a different story.
Luckily, I’m 33, so I don’t have to worry about getting picked on when I go into school on Monday if we drop points.