Soccer Rivalries: Liverpool F.C. Vs. Manchester United

One of the bitterest rivalries to exist in English football is between two footballing giants. Liverpool and Manchester United have vied for supremacy for decades. While Manchester City and Arsenal finished above both clubs in the Premier League this season, this particular rivalry still simmers. Their clashes are eagerly anticipated and for the latest soccer odds, head to Fanduel. 

English Football’s Two Greatest Clubs

Part of the reason why Liverpool and Manchester United despise each other is their success. Both clubs have dominated English football in different eras. During the Seventies and Eighties, Liverpool were the kings of the English football league. More often than not, they would sit at the top of the league as title followed title.

During this period, Liverpool also enjoyed noted success in Europe, particularly in the European Cup as it was then known. From 1972 up to 1992, Liverpool won 11 league titles, seven European trophies, and 19 domestic cups. Manchester United did scupper Liverpool’s chances of a league, FA Cup, and European Cup Treble in 1977. However, United’s success during the same period was restricted to the odd domestic cup and European trophy.

That all changed when Sir Alex Ferguson finally created his first dominant team. Manchester United had gone 26 years without winning the league title, a drought in other words. There had been indications that United were back to ‘knock Liverpool off their perch’ yet until 1993, it seemed unlikely. 

United’s dominant spell can also be seen over a 20-year period. Between 1993 and 2013, United amassed 13 league titles to outscore Liverpool’s own total of league triumphs. They also won 23 domestic cups and two European Cups. 

Though the club failed to dominate Europe as Liverpool had done, they did manage a feat that eluded Liverpool. In 1999, Manchester United completed the league, FA Cup, and European Cup treble. The team also knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup on the way to glory. 

An Inter-City Rivalry

The rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United can also transcend the football pitch. There is no tangible rivalry between Everton (the second team in Liverpool) and Manchester City. However, there is a cultural rivalry between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester.

This can best be described as hostile and has been building for quite some time. The rivalry can even be traced back to the Eighteenth century. As Liverpool grew as a seaport, it superseded Manchester as an economic powerhouse. At one point, Liverpool was even described as the second city of the British Empire.

The building of the Bridgewater Canal looked to strengthen the links between Manchester and Liverpool. A railway was also built to transport raw materials from the port, inland. Then another canal was built; the Manchester Ship Canal was not looked upon favorably by those in Liverpool. With good reason too, while the canal benefited the laborers of Manchester, it undercut dockers in Liverpool.

The canal was completed in 1894 and resentment reigned supreme between the two cities. Incidentally, that was the same year that Liverpool first played Newton Heath, the club that would become Manchester United. Liverpool would relegate Newton Heath in that play-off match yet Manchester soon benefited economically. 

Later on, the inter-city rivalry could be seen culturally. During the Sixties, Liverpool could boast ‘Merseybeat’ and The Beatles. By the Nineties, Manchester could boast bands like Oasis and The Stone Roses while ‘Madchester’ reigned supreme. 

The Impact Of Scottish Managers

The impact of Sir Alex Ferguson effectively knocked Liverpool off their perch. Two other Scottish managers were hugely influential in building the rivalry. Both were from Scotland; Liverpool had Bill Shankly while Manchester United had Sir Matt Busby.

Shankly basically built the foundations of the club that is now Liverpool F.C. He was a charismatic figure and one that never settled for second best. While Shankly was from Ayrshire, Busby was from Lanarkshire yet had a similar impact on Manchester United. 

While Ferguson would bear the fruits of the ‘Class of 92’, Busby had demonstrated that the club should put its faith in youth. That was shown in the ‘Busby Babes’ a team of youthful, exuberant footballers that perished far too soon. On February 6th, 1958, a plane carrying the team back from a European game crashed in Munich.

Busby survived yet the team he had built largely perished on that runway. That included the likes of Geoff Bent, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor, and the mercurial Duncan Edwards, who died in hospital two weeks after the crash. Arguably, the ethos that Busby created with that great team was built upon when Ferguson created his dominant side.

Throughout the Nineties and Noughties, Ferguson moulded a dominant side based around young footballers. That initially included the homegrown likes of Paul Scholes, David Beckham, and Ryan Giggs yet later included Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. While both clubs have new managers, you can still bet on the latest sports betting odds at Fanduel. 

Summary

For the best part of forty years, Liverpool and then Manchester United dominated English football. The rivalry also pushed both clubs to greatness as neither club settled for second-best. While Manchester City may look dominant at the moment, it may take a while until the club can rival such a trophy haul.