What’s the story?
Speaking to reporters ahead of the match against Liverpool, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho turned up the heat and said that he has always believed that Manchester United are the bigger club over arch rivals Liverpool. The Portuguese manager was in full form as he taunted the Merseyside club and hailed the rivalry.
Also Read: Klopp demands Liverpool show true grit at Old Trafford
When asked by a reporter if the match between the old rivals was still a big fixture, Mourinho replied in the positive and further emphasised on how United were the biggest club in the country.
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“I don’t know. I know that Manchester United is the biggest club in this country. I know. You know. Everybody knows. I’m sorry. It’s easy to know,” said the Manchester United manager.
In case you didn’t know...
Mourinho, who was appointed by the Red Devils last summer, had a difficult first few months but ultimately turned things around. United are now on a winning streak of seven matches in the Premier League and have given no indication of slowing down. The team has started to look well settled and with the sublime form of summer signings Ibrahimovic and Pogba, things look positive for them.
On the other hand, Liverpool have not been very impressive in their last few games. The Reds have struggled to deliver and have not won any of their last 3 games. A horror show against Southampton in the league cup semi-final was another average display by the team as the Saints totally dominated them from the start to end.
The heart of the matter
The North West derby is without a doubt the biggest matchup in Premier League history and features the two most decorated clubs in England. The debate of which club is bigger is one that never ends and Mourinho has sparked it again with his recent comments.
Both the clubs have bragging rights in different ways when it comes to trophies. On the European level, Liverpool lead with 5 trophies to United’s 3. However, at the league level United lead Liverpool as they’ve won 20 League titles compared to the Reds’ 18, who have not won a single title since the Premier League began in 1992.
Manchester United have without a doubt been the bigger force in the 21st century, but after the retirement of Sir Alex, things look quite even. Now that the two clubs have world class managers in Mourinho and Klopp, the rivalry has been restored to its high standards.
What next?
After a rather average match between the two giants earlier last year, we hope that the reverse fixture is anything but that. The final bragging rights for some time will definitely be with the team that wins the match tomorrow.
Also Read: EPL 2016/17 - Manchester United vs Liverpool - Combined XI
Manchester United do hold the edge because of their current form and home support, however, at the same time it would be foolish to underestimate Liverpool.
Sportskeeda’s Take
It feels great to see the mind games begin from Jose Mourinho’s side. Knowing Jurgen Klopp’s nature we are sure that even he will have a great deal to say about his counterpart’s statements.
The rivalry, the banter and the competition are the main reasons behind football being the people’s game and we’re glad the two clubs continue to revel in it.
