It’s been a long time coming, but Liverpool’s first top-flight title win in 30 years has allowed a few old scores to be settled.
Reds fans have had to watch Manchester United dominate the Premier League era with 13 titles to date, all coming after Liverpool last lifted the old First Division title back in 1990.
An infamous quote from Sir Alex Ferguson about “knocking Liverpool right off of their f**king perch,” has long rankled, but once Chelsea had beaten Manchester City on Thursday evening, ex-Reds centre-back, Phil Thompson, was quick to react.
“We are back on our perch. It’s been a long time coming,” said Thompson on Sky Sports, cited by the Daily Mirror.
“I didn’t use the expletives that came before it, but we are back. It’s been a long time coming.
“It’s been a generation, 30 years. Yes we’ve had the Champions League, but for Liverpool it has always been about the championship. And we have not been able to get our hands on it. And it’s been a burden to everybody.
“All our managers have had to carry it. And I think now, to Jurgen Klopp, the players, my utter congratulations because it has been hard. It has been the holy grail and we’ve done it tonight.”
Given how dominant Klopp’s side have been in the 2019/20 season, it’s not unfair to suggest that the current Liverpool team could be the best that the Premier League has ever seen.
With seven games to play, they are still on course to earn a record points total, and, were they to win every game until the conclusion of the campaign, they’ll hit an unheard of mark of 107 points.
Surely even Sir Alex can recognise greatness when he sees it.