Why ‘Fergie Time’ is now ‘Jurgen Time’
Growing up in the shadow of Manchester United, watching them narrowly cross the finishing line to beat Liverpool, as well as winning Premier League titles and Champions League crowns, meant I was always brought up with a sense of jealously.
Now the tables have turned.
Sadio Mane’s last-gasp header at Aston Villa, Adam Lallana’s outstretched toe at Old Trafford and even Gini Wijnaldum’s scruffy winner at Sheffield United are just a few examples of the Reds finding the answer when it has mattered most.
That’s without even looking at Liverpool’s Champions League campaign last season.
But now they have a calming-yet-arrogant swagger about them. Even with the clock ticking, players and fans know there are still going to be a few twists and turns, especially on Saturday at Villa Park.
It is exactly what Alex Ferguson and United used to be like, scraping wins in a manner that infuriated their rivals.
In a few previous articles, I have stressed the importance of this side needing to add more trophies to be spoken about as one of the greatest English sides of all time.
This is key, with the last-gasp winners United enjoyed ultimately backed up by title after title.
Another great similarity between Liverpool and Ferguson’s sides is that the Reds have now taken on their role as the villains of the footballing world.
There is no two ways about it, Liverpool are the team to beat – I see it with my own eyes on my travels with the team.
Every single ground is rocking before kickoff, and then after the game, the physical effects on the opposition are clear, as they lie in utter exhaustion trying to match this great Liverpool side.
If and when this team is defeated in the Premier League, it is going to be the newspaper and television coverage for days on end, and there is a real sense of an ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality now, much like in the early 2000s with United.
After Liverpool’s dramatic win on Saturday, some even referred to it as ‘Jurgen Time’, which speaks volumes.
It gives me a great sense of pride reading and watching fans of other teams be so negative about Liverpool – it is natural human instinct to give you that extra sense of motivation to go that extra mile, purely to wind up the rest of the country.
If Liverpool are to be the new United, however, they must consistently win trophies and football matches to match the great achievements Ferguson.
They cannot fall off a cliff like the rest of the footballing nation are hoping will happen.