Man Utd travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool on Saturday, as the two giants of English football lock horns again in their latest battle.
Striving to be regarded as the elite side in England, both have enjoyed glittering spells of dominance spanning decades as the two clubs continue to be involved in some of the most passionate and heated clashes in the Premier League.
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That rivalry will be reignited this weekend with Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp trying to outdo one another, but Gary Neville has looked back at what Sir Alex Ferguson was like when he was still in charge at Old Trafford.
The fiery Scottish tactician had a reputation due to his infamous ‘hairdryer treatment’, and Neville has revealed that it was before Liverpool games where he could sense a shift in Ferguson’s mood, especially during games in which his side weren’t delivering.
“People talk about the hairdryer and it never happened that much to be honest with you during a season, but the most consistent place you would see it was Anfield – at half-time or the end of the game,” he said on Sky Sports show ‘Gary Neville’s Soccerbox’.
“He could not stand losing at Anfield – and if we won there, it didn’t matter how we played – it was like the best thing in the world.”
A win this weekend for the visitors would be significant, as despite their impressive start to the campaign which has led them to joint-top of the table after seven games, they haven’t yet passed a serious test of their credentials.
Liverpool away will certainly be one of those, while Klopp will be desperate for three points to put their disappointment prior to the international break firmly behind them as they’ve slipped to seventh and seven points adrift of their upcoming opponents.
United will have to match their rivals for energy, commitment and passion, something that Neville and his former teammates knew all about based on his comments above, as Ferguson simply wouldn’t settle for anything less. It’s likely to be no different for Mourinho on Saturday.