Manchester United vs. Liverpool: First to 20 Premier League titles

The English Premier league is just around the corner, most teams will be bothered with the usual concerns of avoiding relegation and finishing high enough up the table to qualify for European football but for Liverpool and Manchester United there's a very private duel being played out in the 2011-12 season. 

Despite the fact that there are 20 teams competing in the league, due to commence on 13 August 2011, there are two teams who have a very special reason to mount an attack on the league table. Liverpool (arguably the most successful British club of the 80s) and Manchester United (THE most successful football club in the Premier League era) have their own two sided fight…the race to 20 league titles! 

First among equals 

Liverpool are now (officially) the second most successful club in the history of English football, having won 18 league titles (plus seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups). There was a period, the 1980s, when Liverpool looked to be the team everyone had to beat to win the league. They garnered six league cups in the 80s and their fanbase exploded as fans from outside Merseyside jumped on the trophy winning bandwagon. Comparisons with the Red Devils' modern day fanbase (who some cruelly criticize as simple glory hunters) are purely coincidental. 

The records speak for themselves 

Liverpool have won the top tier of English Football 18 times, Manchester United have now won it 19 times, and Man Utd fans weren't backward in coming forward in letting the Liverpool fans know that they were no longer top of the trophy table. Liverpool are still the most successful English club in European competitions, having won five European Cups, the last in 2005, three UEFA Cups and three UEFA Super Cups. While those "facts" are never far from Scouse minds, there is no denying that being the second most successful league club will rankle for as long as they are behind Manchester United. 

Manchester United are unsurprising favourites to win the league (again) at 7/4 with Ladbrokes in the betting odds, Liverpool are 5th favourite with the bookies at 10/1 (between the two teams there are the big three of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City). If you don't think that those soccer odds mean much you should be aware that United are 1/15 to finish in the top four while Liverpool are just evens. 

Calm down calm down 

Many Liverpool fans see their Manchester United rivalry as even more intense than the cross city rivalry with Everton, similarly many United fans feel the same about Liverpool compared to their local rivalry with their noisy neighbours, Manchester City. The rivalry is viewed as a manifestation of the cities' competition during industrial times, and intensified from the 1960s onwards. In 1968, Manchester United became the first English team to win the European Cup, and gladly crowed to Liverpool fans about it, however their achievement was soon eclipsed by Liverpool who won four European Cups during the 1970s and 80s. The rivalry is so intense that the last player to be transferred between the Liverpool to Manchester United was Phil Chisnall in 1964. Michael Owen is the only current Liverpool alumni to wear a Red Devil top, expect him to get a stinking reception if he takes to the pitch against his old side. Despite the fact that he played for both Real Madrid and Newcastle before finding his (much hunted) glory at Old Trafford. 

That was the year that was 

Liverpool's last league title was back in the 1989-90 season, their fifth major trophy in as many seasons under manager Kenny Dalglish. So much has changed since then, back in 1990 momentous events included Gary Lineker's arrival at Tottenham Hotspur, the end of the Cold War, the first Computer Virus Worm was released (on something called a floppy disk), McDonalds opening its first store in Moscow, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, Emma Watson was only just born, poll tax riots rocked Trafalgar square, Britain was under a cut-happy Tory government and a ten year old Steven Gerrard was a running around the school playground scoring goals for fun.

The last time Manchester United lifted a trophy was just months ago, where Gary Lineker appears on Match of the Day, the cold war is but a memory, Emma Watson has completed her stint as Hermione in the Harry potter films (and is now worth a reported £40million), ant-capitalist marches rock London, Britain is under a cut-happy Tory government, Kenny Dalglish is back in charge at Liverpool and Steven Gerrard is…. 

Speaking of managers one of the saddest bets out there is on Alex (Chewbie Chewbie Chew) Ferguson being the first manager sacked next season, he's at a laughable 50/1 to be given the boot. "King" Kenny is less safe in the bookies minds but is still 25/1 to get shown the Anfield door. 

Manchester United secured the Premier League trophy with a 1-1 draw away to Blackburn Rovers on 14 May 2011 to clinch their nineteenth English league title, momentously breaking the tie with Liverpool which had stood since Manchester United won their eighteenth title in 2009. The event was doubly sweet for Manchester and bitter for Liverpool as some cheeky Scousers had unveiled a banner proclaiming "Come back When You've Won 18" back in 1994 when Manchester United were on seven trophies. It seemed to be just the spur for Manchester as they dutifully went and won 11 titles in the next 15 years. On the last day of last season, as Anfield's Liverpool fans began their customary chorus of You'll Never Walk Alone, a covert band of United fans, unveiled a banner inscribed with the words "MUFC 19 TIMES" then legged it out of the grounds and into a waiting getaway car with its engine running. Liverpool would LOVE to exact some form of revenge on the Red Devils, and they need to start soon. 

Possible Banners: See if you can find any soccer betting markets on the following banners being unfurled when Manchester United host Liverpool.

• Come back when you've won ONE Club World Cup / Intercontinental Cup / Cup Winners' Cup (Liverpool have never won those trophies)
• Come back when you've won 11 FA Cups (Liverpool have won just 7)
• Come along when you've won 18 Community Shields (Liverpool are on 15)
• Come back when you've won the Premier League

Or you might want to keep your eyes peeled for the following Scouse penned banners at Anfield.

• Come back when you've won THREE European Super Cups (Manchester United have won one)
• Come back when you've won THREE UEFA Cups (United have won none, although they do seem to consistently finish too high up the league to qualify for a UEFA spot)
• Come back when you've won FIVE European Cups (United have won three)
• Come back when you've stopped cheating on your wife 

The first of the league meeting between these sides is scheduled for 15th October at Anfield, the fixture is usually played at lunch time due to both media (TV) interest and to discourage fans from drinking before the game (as if). The rivalry is such that it has extended to the players as well: United striker Wayne Rooney, a child of Merseyside, and a former Everton player often describes how he grew up hating the Reds, while Liverpool's Steven Gerrard has a collection of football shirts he has swapped with opposing players as part of the after match routine; that feature no Manchester United shirts and he claims that he would never have one of them in his house. Reports (on Manchester Utd fansites claimed that Gerrad had plenty of Man U tops but they were pinched in one of the numerous burglaries on his home). Manchester United's player Ryan Giggs says that Liverpool against Manchester United is "probably the most famous fixture in English football". The second match is due to be played on Saturday, 11 February 2012 at Old Trafford. 

Of the 156 league meetings between these sides there have been 60 Manchester wins, 43 draws 53 Liverpool victories. The last five meetings between these two sides have always ended with a home victory. All in all, the on pitch (and in print) battles between these two sides will be stepped up a gear as pride plays its part.

Prediction: Manchester United will make it to 20 trophies first, if not this season then soon.