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Steven Gerrard draws parallels between Man Utd demise and Liverpool — 'We've lived it'

As Manchester United continues to struggle in the Premier League under Michael Carrick, former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard has drawn parallels to an old situation with the Reds

Steven Gerrard has compared Manchester United's situation to Liverpool's in the past
Steven Gerrard has compared Manchester United's situation to Liverpool's in the past

Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard has suggested that things can improve for Manchester United in the future, after comparing the Red Devils' situation to the Reds.

Both famous Premier League clubs have had their glory years and periods when they have fallen away, with a cycle over the last 30 years that has often left them in opposite situations at any given time.

While Man United enjoyed plenty of success through the 1990s, 2000s, and early 2010s, that all shifted as Liverpool and Man City took the top spot through the late 2010s and the 2020s so far. It has underlined a shifting landscape, one that has seen the well-run clubs given a chance to shine, while any mistake from those who aren't can be punished.

That much has been seen with the rise of the Reds and the fall of the Red Devils, the latter of which seems to be continuing after a poor run of form at the start of the new season. With Michael Carrick now at risk of losing the head coach position, the club seems destined to continue a cycle that has them trapped in a loop of hiring and firing managers.

At the moment, it is tough to see a path towards a more positive outcome for Man United, while squad building remains slow and hampered by the debts imposed on it by the majority owners, the Glazers.

It's a situation that Liverpool fans know all too well, with the Hicks and Gillett ownership taking the club to the brink before Fenway Sports Group took over and eventually guided the team back to the top.

That is a parallel that former midfielder Gerrard discussed on The Overlap Daily, as he said: "No, I totally understand what he’s saying, and there are similarities under [Tom] Hicks and [George] Gillett: similar frustrations and feelings. The positive thing from a Manchester United perspective is you’re probably on the floor now; it probably can’t get any worse than it actually is.

"And there are people out there who can reset a club, who can improve a club. We’ve lived it with Fenway Sports Group, and yeah, they’ve made a couple of mistakes along the way, but they’ve been really quick to go, ‘No, we understand that was a mistake, we were a bit naive,’ and they’ve completely understood and they’ve listened to the fans.

FSG has sold a 30% stake in Liverpool to an Amit Bhatia-led consortium featuring the founders of Facebook and Amazon
FSG has sold a 30% stake in Liverpool to an Amit Bhatia-led consortium featuring the founders of Facebook and Amazon

"They’ve improved the stadium, they’ve improved the team, they’ve attracted the best managers, and their recruitment has been, in the main, fantastic. And you see as an ex-player the treatment that you get from the club; you feel like you’re still part of the family.

"At Liverpool at the moment, and it hasn’t always been that way, we’re just on this journey, this wave, and everyone’s together and everyone’s united. I know you won’t want to hear this, but tough, because we’ve had our tough times as well. But I think that’s the only fix for United."

With Carrick under pressure, Gerrard reflected on whether that could solve things for Man United, as he reflected: “I don’t think changing the manager… I think it’ll give you some short-term pleasure. And I actually think it’ll put Michael Carrick out of his misery, because he’ll be finding it tough at the moment. I’ve lived it myself.

"But I think heads need to roll from top to bottom, in my opinion, because I don’t think changing man for man is going to give you the long-term solution you Man United fans crave.”

It remains to be seen whether the behind-the-scenes processes can be put in place to help Man United return to winning ways. However, it may need major changes to move them in a better direction after yet another chaotic start to a campaign.

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