Eleven years since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ruben Amorim finds himself no further forward than David Moyes, the first post-Fergie incumbent at Manchester United. Contrast Old Trafford with Anfield, where Arne Slot has assumed the emperor’s robes and tailored them to fit.
That the end of an era did not lead to the ruin of Jurgen Klopp’s creation at Liverpool is a consequence of foundational strength and coaching smarts.
It took a decade for Liverpool to win the Premier League title under John Henry’s Fenway Sports Group, their first for 30 years, with data analyst Ian Graham and sporting director Michael Edwards combining to take the game to Manchester City.
Slot inherited a settled squad governed by established generals shot through with potential. From there he was wise enough to finesse not mess. There were no big summer signings, just two low key arrivals, goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and striker Federico Chiesa from Juventus.
Klopp’s gift to Slot was the renewal of the midfield at the start of his final season. Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch more than filled the space vacated by Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.
In the same window United added Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat on loan. No greater example can there be of Liverpool’s superior technical department and stable base, an eerie echo of the post-Fergie rebuild when Marouane Fellaini was first through the door under Moyes.
Amrabat, who finally offered something in the FA Cup final in May, is now at Fenerbahce, on loan from Fiorentina. Mount is rehabbing yet another injury having started just nine Premier League games for the club.
The arrival of Ineos as minority owners was supposed to draw a line under the turmoil at Old Trafford. One year on United have yet to establish any kind of forward momentum, with Amorim seemingly more adrift than his predecessors.
Slot, on the other hand, stepped into a premium structure and has simply refined the Klopp vision, forsaking heavy metal attack for a degree of control.
The transposing of Gravenberch with Mac Allister, the former dropping back into the six role, the latter effectively sharing eight and 10 duties with Szoboszlai, has altered the attacking profile a fraction – turning down the pressing heat map whilst taking more touches in their own half, 133 passes in the defensive third to 117 under Klopp, according to Opta.
Another tweak involved the deployment of seemingly out-going Trent Alexander-Arnold in a more traditional full-back role, which has uncomplicated matters for the team going forward and defensively.
Alexander-Arnold still gets forward but more in tandem with Mo Salah, surging on the overlap rather than as a midfield creator.
Slot has also been fortunate to coincide with the unprecedented decline under Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and the sluggish turn taken by Arsenal earlier in the piece during the absence of Martin Odegaard.
Powered by the irrepressible Salah, a reconstituted Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, Liverpool sprinted into a commanding position at the top of the table, one that sees them six points clear of Arsenal with a game in hand ahead of the visit of United.
Many a moon has passed since United travelled along the East Lancs Road so diminished. After the coruscating loss to Newcastle, a match in which United evoked memories among older supporters of the trauma of 1974 when the post Law, Charlton and Best period was rubber-stamped by the Lawman himself, back-heeling United into the old Second Division.
Though Amorim has cast the present in a similarly depressing light, a more temperate view balances gloom with a reality that differs considerably from the picture half a century ago.
In the days before sports rights and broadcast bounties, there was a degree of financial equivalence that has been obliterated now, meaning United were vulnerable to attack from smaller clubs as well as large.
Given universal Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) restraints, it would take a cataclysmic fall by United to be leapfrogged by any of Ipswich, Leicester and Wolves. We can discount the marooned Southampton, for whom no amount of bounce under Ivan Juric would be sufficient to save them.
The latest forecasts from the consultancy sector suggests United’s predicament is unlikely to endure, making them a good bet for investors.
The New York Stock Exchange shows a 28 per cent growth in the value of United shares since March last year, and according to Swiss wealth management brokers UBS, revenues could rocket to £800m, and even surpass £1bn were United to rehome in a new, “Wembley of the north” stadium.
UBS point out that the cost-cutting drive that has landed so negatively with supporters is in fact a move to drive investment on the back of increased profitability and growth potential.
It was always about business over sport for Sir Jim. In short United remain a mega brand in a market that continues to expand and migrate into lifestyle and entertainment.
“Continued interest in sports teams and leagues from private equity and wealthy individuals seeing trophy assets, we see the valuation of Manchester United as well underpinned,” noted the USB analysis, whilst adding the counter punch.
“This is by no means a foregone conclusion given the recent poor performance but the new manager provides a potential turning point for change, albeit one which may take time to materialise.”
Amorim is seeking only a third Premier League victory since the draw on debut at Ipswich in November. After four successive defeats the avoidance of another might feel like a win. Slot has enough points in the bank to absorb a shock, for that is what anything but a Liverpool victory would be.
Amorim’s successor at Sporting Lisbon, Joao Pereira, barely made it to Christmas before being sent on his way on Boxing Day. It seems insane to suggest Amorim is anything but secure.
Then again the same could have been said of sporting director Dan Ashworth, who spent longer on gardening leave from Newcastle than he did in his post at Old Trafford, knee-jerked out of office after just five months.
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