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Manchester United legend Gary Neville has claimed that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has failed to practice Sir Alex Ferguson's ruthlessness in selling players.
Sir Alex is regarded as one of the greatest managers in world football and statistically the most successful coach in England. He won a staggering 38 trophies during his 27-year reign at Old Trafford.
He is the gold standard when judging a coach's title-winning credentials. The Scotsman won the Division 1 title with Manchester United in the 1989-90 campaign.
Since then, the Red Devils went just five seasons without a trophy until the Scottish legend's retirement in the summer of 2013. Klopp, meanwhile, masterminded his own little revolution at Liverpool, taking them from the pits of midtable obscurity to becoming champions of England and Europe.
But after winning all major club trophies once between 2019 and 2021, they now look miles behind their competition domestically and in Europe. Neville believes this is because of Klopp's loyalty to players that are past their best.
The former United right-back told the Echo:
"Sir Alex would get rid of players before we thought they had seen their end in the team. He would transition the team while things were still good.
"There's an element of maybe Liverpool allowing their team to grow a bit too old together and not maybe nudging it forward as much as they should have done while they were at the top. But that comes down to finance."
The German tactician has often been criticized by fans for his apparent favoritism towards players like Jordan Henderson and James Milner, who are deemed to be past their prime.
Moreover, the club failed to capitalize on their dominance and sign world-class players when they were winning trophies. They are now arguably left with a squad sprinkled with young players that aren't yet good enough to replace yesteryear's superstars.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool end January window without signing a midfielder
When the January transfer window opened, there was a growing expectation amongst fans that Liverpool would finally sign a new central midfielder.
Jordan Henderson and Fabinho Tavares have been notably subpar this season, while Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's injury issues have been well documented.
However, Cody Gakpo's arrival from PSV Eindhoven for an initial fee of £37 million was the only business they conducted last month. With a midfield that isn't set in stone and midfielders that are out of form, bar Thiago Alcantara, the Reds are running the risk of going trophyless this season.
They are out of both domestic cup competitions, sit ninth in the Premier League, and face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
