RUBEN AMORIM’S landlord could have been forgiven for putting the Manchester United chief’s property on the market this month.
United’s return to Anfield on Sunday is a reminder Liverpool are specialists in seeing off Red Devils bosses.
- DAVID MOYES was sacked 37 days after losing 3-0.
- LOUIS VAN GAAL got the boot 68 days after a 2-0 defeat.
- JOSE MOURINHO’S axe came two days after losing 3-1.
- OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER was fired 28 days after a 5-0 rout.
- RALF RANGNICK left 40 days after a 4-0 drubbing.
- ERIK TEN HAG was sacked 57 days after a 3-0 schooling.
On the day of that defeat under Erik Ten Hag, United chief exec Omar Berrada stressed to media in the Old Trafford boardroom before kick-off that the manager had “full backing”.
Eight weeks later, Ten Hag was gone.
United’s gradual decline under the Dutchman started at Anfield with a 7-0 drubbing in March 2023.
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That was just a week after Ten Hag had helped them end a near six-year trophy drought with the League Cup.
The Old Trafford club were above Liverpool in the table at the time — and ended up eight points clear in the final table. But the Anfield collapse led to a patchy run of 11 wins from 22 games for United.
They went on to suffer their worst league finish in 34 years in 2023-24, coming eighth.
The red half of Merseyside have become a nightmare for United managers and those in the hotseat have been spooked at Anfield since they last won there in January 2016.
United have gone ten games without a win there, the longest winless run at the ground in their history.
And yet Liverpool away does not feel as treacherous as it did a few weeks ago.
Arne Slot’s side have suffered three successive losses.
Two league defeats came in added time against Crystal Palace and Chelsea — and sandwiched between was the 1-0 Champions League defeat at Galatasaray.
It all sees the Reds replace United as the Premier League’s crisis club — though the defending champions were treading a fine line.
Six of their seven successive wins to start the season were sealed with winners in the final ten minutes or added time. Then Palace gave them a dose of their own medicine.
Some of the questions levelled at Liverpool will be familiar to United.
Has £130million British record signing Alexander Isak put noses out of joint?
Does £100m man Florian Wirtz fit into their system?
Have Liverpool signed the wrong player — Jeremie Frimpong — for a role he no longer plays?
United managers fielded similar questions about the likes of Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez and Jadon Sancho over the years.
Liverpool have also been merciful at times against the worst Red Devils teams in a generation.
United teams that finished eighth and 15th avoided defeat on their visits to Anfield.
They earned a creditable 0-0 draw in December 2023 before outperforming Liverpool over a pulsating 2-2 draw last January.
There was heavy snowfall in the north-west that morning and slushy conditions outside Anfield were hazardous for fans.
Matches have been postponed for less, yet United figures suspected that Liverpool ensured the game went ahead as they were convinced of doling out a hammering.
United turned up reeling from four straight defeats yet defied expectations and merited a lead when Lisandro Martinez smashed the ball past Alisson after 52 minutes.
That was United’s first goal at Anfield in almost ten hours.
They have only registered on the scoresheet three times in their doldrum decade on the red side of Stanley Park. The aggregate score is 20-3.
On that 2-2 draw Amorim oversaw in the new year, he said: “We played well. It was a draw, I was upset at the end.
“We proved on that day that we can compete against any opponent. I know it’s special for our club, I know that they are fighting all the time for the titles, the number of titles.
“I know what it means to the fans. But again, it’s one game that we need to prove again we are playing better.
“I think we’re playing better, we need to do better in both boxes. So it’s one more game that we need to win.”
United’s barren run at Anfield began in the teams’ Europa League round-of-16 tie in March 2016 when United cringingly encouraged a “wall of white” in the away end.
Everyone was given a white Adidas away shirt, as if it was advisable to don a United replica on Merseyside.
And United waved the white flag in a 2-0 loss that flattered them. United fans might have PTSD from this fixture for a number of reasons…
Liverpool fans torturing them with “We’re gonna win the league”, Pogba crying off, Wout Weghorst caressing the “This Is Anfield” sign and a Premier League-record defeat.
After the 7-0, United staff had to clarify that, contrary to what co-commentator Gary Neville said, captain Bruno Fernandes had not asked to be subbed.
United figures suggested Nev apologise but he declined.
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For someone whose chant centred on his hatred of Scousers, Neville’s emotions got the better of him in the gantry.
Neville, also a prolific property developer, could yet have a new managerial tenant to accommodate this season.
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