Remember when Gary Neville confidently suggested Manchester United were in a better position than Liverpool this season?
Well, that prediction hasn’t exactly aged particularly well!
It is now nine weeks since the former United captain made that claim, and Michael Carrick’s side are still searching for a Premier League victory since August.
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat against Chelsea was another miserable afternoon for United, extending their winless league run to nine matches.
Liverpool supporters could be forgiven for having a little chuckle.
Neville’s prediction is coming back to haunt him
Back in August, Neville believed Manchester United were in a better place than Liverpool, who were beginning a new era under Andoni Iraola.
There were certainly questions surrounding Liverpool at the time. A new manager, changes to the squad and uncertainty about how quickly the team would adapt meant there were plenty of reasons for caution.
But Neville seemed particularly confident about United’s prospects.
Fast forward nine weeks and the picture looks very different.
United have struggled to turn performances into results, and today’s defeat at Stamford Bridge was another reminder of their problems.
They have now gone nine Premier League matches without a win and have just seven points from their opening nine games.
That’s a worrying position for a club with ambitions of returning to the top of English football.
Liverpool fans won’t forget those comments
Let’s be honest, Gary Neville has never been short of an opinion when it comes to Liverpool.
That’s part of the entertainment when he appears alongside Jamie Carragher, but football has a habit of making pundits look foolish when their predictions don’t go to plan.
Liverpool are still a work in progress under Iraola, and nobody should pretend everything has been perfect at Anfield.
There are improvements to make, particularly in midfield, and the Reds still need to show greater consistency.
But comparing the two clubs right now makes Neville’s earlier comments look rather premature.
United are struggling to get results, while Liverpool have at least shown signs of progress under their new manager.
The Premier League table doesn’t lie
Manchester United’s latest defeat leaves them with only seven points from nine matches and dangerously close to the bottom end of the table.
For a club of their size, that is simply not good enough.
Carrick needs answers quickly because the pressure will only increase if this run continues.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have a huge opportunity against Arsenal on Sunday to make their own statement and keep moving in the right direction.
My verdict: Gary Neville might want to keep some of those early-season predictions to himself for a while!
Nine weeks on, Manchester United still haven’t won a Premier League game since August. I wonder if he still thinks they’re in a better place than Liverpool?
Football really does have a sense of humour!
Jamie – (The Kopite View)
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