When looking at England's two most successful clubs, it's fair to say that Manchester United and Liverpool have had contrasting starts to the season.
It was said in the buildup to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign that the two teams would be on a relatively even keel in the months ahead, and while that could still turn out to be the case, the way things have gone for them over the first five games have been rather different.
Liverpool have had a brilliant start to the season, taking 13 points from the five fixtures. As well as that, their summer signings such as Dominic Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have immediately improved the fortunes of the side.
It is a very different story at Manchester United. They have lost three of their five games so far, and while injuries have been a factor, they look like a team is completely lacking any sort of cohesion or attacking plan.
Gary Neville gave awful comparison between Liverpool & Manchester United
When it comes to the issues in the Manchester United team, it is clear that their midfield is a major area of concern.
Casemiro has completely fallen off from the form he displayed in the first half of last season, with the likes of Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, and Mason Mount (before his injury) all seeming to struggle with their defensive duties. In an attacking sense, outside of Fernandes, that group has not offered a huge amount going forward.
That is quite the contrast to Liverpool, who have excelled in that position despite having some major problems their last season.
All of this combined makes a pre-season comment from Gary Neville look rather foolish. Appearing on The Overlap before the campaign had kicked off, he suggested that Jurgen Klopp would gladly swap his own midfield options for that of Manchester United.
This aged well! 🤣🤣
pic.twitter.com/SF8oieCJOr— Sajad (@SajadIqbalLFC) September 18, 2023
When you look at the players at United for example, you've got Fernandes, Mount, Casemiro, Eriksen.
I think Jurgen Klopp would swap his midfield now for United's.
Those comments certainly don't look great in hindsight.
There was some uncertainty over Liverpool's midfield coming into the campaign. While Alexis Mac Allister was a known quantity, not many in English football would have been all that familiar with Dominic Szboszlai. Luckily for Liverpool fans, he already looks like one of the signings of the summer.
Jurgen Klopp will also have Ryan Gravenberch to come into the fold after his brief cameo at the weekend, while Wataru Endo has also bolstered their options in the squad.
In contrast, Manchester United's midfield consists of a number of ill-fitting options that do not really mesh together.
It's fair to say Gary Neville's claims that Klopp would swap his midfield for that one already look wide of the mark.
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