Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says that his aim is to knock both Liverpool and Manchester City off their perches in taking the Red Devils back to the top of world football.
Pep Lijnders has warned new Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe that knocking Liverpool off their perch won’t be easy – even after Jurgen Klopp’s departure.
In Sir Alex Ferguson-like fashion, Ratcliffe – who this week completed a £1.3billion deal to become a 27.7 per cent stakeholder in United – has made it his mission to displace both Liverpool and cross-city rivals Manchester City. But Liverpool assistant manager Lijnders, who like Klopp will be leaving Anfield this summer, believes that the good times are staying on Merseyside.
“Is that a compliment from United? That says everything, huh?” Lijnders replied when asked about Ratcliffe’s comments. “No one can replace Jurgen but the past showed a few difficult transitions.
“What was the most difficult one here? Bill Shankly saying he was done. Who stepped up? It showed that we as a club search for someone who wants to grow, has the mindset to develop but it is for the owners, they can make the decision.
“We made the right decision to give them time to get this transition smooth. With Barcelona, Pep Guardiola announced he was done and then Tito Vilanova took over and got them the most points.”
Ratcliffe admits that United are currently a “long way” behind both Liverpool and City, and he also acknowledged: “We have a lot to learn from our noisy neighbour and the other neighbour. They are the enemy at the end of the day. There is nothing I would like better than to knock both of them off their perch.
“But they have been in a good place for a while and there are things we can learn from both of them. They have sensible organisations, great people within the organisations, a good, driven and elite environment that they work in. I am very respectful of them but they are still the enemy.”
Lijnders won’t see much of the revolution which Ratcliffe has promised, though, as the Dutch coach has reiterated his desire to become a first-team manager elsewhere rather than remaining at Liverpool and potentially even getting the job to replace Klopp.
“I was clear, to be honest, when we had the talk a long time ago – for me it was clear and it made it easier for me,” Lijnders explained, previewing this Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea.
“We knew in the summer, ‘okay, we are going towards the end of this project’. It’s too much about me… We play in a final in 48 hours. I understand, so I think I have given answers in interviews. “I always got offers and my heart says yes, but my loyalty to Mike [Gordon, president of Fenway Sports Group, who own Liverpool] and Jurgen said no.
“So we agreed to finish this project together and it is the right way to do it. They will find a new coach with ideas and I am excited to manage to find the right club. But until the last final of the season I am focused on Liverpool and that is why we have agents, no?”
