5 reasons behind the Manchester United-Liverpool rivalry

#3 A rivalry bred out of mutual resentment

Incredible success for both clubs saw a sense of resentment rise

Liverpool F.C and Manchester United are the 2 most successful clubs in the history of English football. Through all the hardships that their respective cities faced, the 2 clubs consistently punched above their weights in footballing terms.

Manchester United won 5 league titles in the 1950’s and 1960’s. They also won the prestigious European Cup in 1968, becoming the first ever English club to achieve the feat.

Liverpool arguably went on to achieve greater successes, winning 11 league titles and an astounding 4 European Cups and dominating the 70’s and 80’s. They followed it up with a 5th after a remarkable final in Istanbul in 2005, still well clear of United’s tally of 3.

Liverpool’s success bred resentment in Manchester. Likewise, the fact that United managed to retain such a high profile and glamorous reputation despite their supposed inferiority on the pitch irritated the Liverpool fan base.

This is where we can pinpoint the birth of the rivalry and during this period the tensions between both sets of fans began to rise, eventually developing into the one we know today, leading to the feverish, often war-like atmosphere during match days between the 2 clubs.