Liverpool end debate over greatest club in England

Liverpool win the Premier League title in the 2024/25 season.

With the 2024/25 Premier League title, Arne Slot - in his first season at Anfield - did what Merseysiders had only dreamed of for more than a decade: equalling Manchester United's record of 20 domestic titles. And more importantly, the Dutch tactician rekindled Liverpool's pride, ending any debate about which club is the greatest in English football.

Slot - the man who rewrote Anfield history

When Arne Slot was appointed Liverpool manager last summer, no one expected such rapid success. At the time, comparisons with the legendary Bob Paisley - Bill Shankly's successor and Liverpool's glory years - were more romantic than realistic.

But Slot did it. Not only did he win the Premier League in his first season, he also brought Liverpool back to the same level as Man United, with 20 domestic titles. And with six European titles in the trophy room, Liverpool can confidently assert: they are the greatest club in England.

Remarkably, Slot accomplished this mammoth task with composure, grit and strategic intelligence – qualities that made Shankly, Paisley, and later Jürgen Klopp legendary.

Liverpool had climbed to the top of England under Shankly in 1973 with their eighth title, and continued to dominate for two decades. But when Sir Alex Ferguson arrived at Old Trafford, the tide changed.

Ferguson had set out to "dethrone Liverpool", and he did. When Man United equalled Liverpool's record of 18 titles in 2009, it was a heartbreaking moment for all Liverpool fans. And the pain was compounded when Man United went on to win their 19th title in 2011 and 20th in 2013, while Liverpool struggled outside the top four.

Arne Slot won the Premier League in his first season in charge of Liverpool.

When legend Jamie Carragher left Liverpool in 2013, with the team only ranked 7th and 28 points behind Man United, if someone asked when Liverpool would catch up with Man United, fans would shake their heads: "Probably not in my lifetime".

Man United at that time had Sir Alex, outstanding revenue, and a solid financial foundation. Meanwhile, Liverpool, in an era when Chelsea, Arsenal and then Man City rose to become new giants, was only a shadow of its former self.

FSG and the journey to revive Anfield

Things began to change when Fenway Sports Group (FSG) took over Liverpool. With smart and patient investment decisions, FSG gradually revived a Liverpool that was in crisis.

Criticism of FSG is still heard from time to time, but let’s face it: when they bought the club, Liverpool were losing money and unable to compete at the top level. Today, Liverpool have more commercial revenue than Manchester United, a world- class squad, a state-of-the-art stadium, and now their 20th league title.

This success comes not only from big spending, but also from smart operating models: recruiting the right people, training them properly and building a sustainable winning culture.

With Slot, he not only helped Liverpool win the title, but did so convincingly. After an impressive start to the season, Liverpool entered the difficult period from November to March - a period when big teams often run out of steam - with impressive form: 14 wins, 6 draws, 20 unbeaten matches.

Slot ignited a fire of enthusiasm in Liverpool.

While Man City and Arsenal have stumbled, Liverpool have maintained excellent consistency. In particular, they have defeated European champions Real Madrid and Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in the League phase of the Champions League, demonstrating their top class both domestically and internationally.

In the sprint phase, the gap was too safe, making the race sometimes "less dramatic", but that was a worthy reward for the stability, bravery and quality that Liverpool showed throughout the season.

Slot also showed his ingenuity in handling sensitive issues such as negotiating contracts with veterans Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk - names that have just committed to long-term commitment, strengthening the foundation for the future.

There is a very remarkable statistic: while Man United needed two legends Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson to win 18/20 championships, Liverpool had 10 different coaches to bring the team to the throne. That shows the strength of the system and the solid tradition that Liverpool built.

With the 2024/25 Premier League title, Liverpool officially ended more than 30 years of being surpassed by Manchester United. The song "You'll Never Walk Alone" is now not only an emotional chant, but also a powerful declaration that Liverpool is back, stronger than ever.

And as the 20th title-winning bus rolls through the streets of Liverpool, all eyes will soon turn to the next target: a 21st trophy - to once again confirm that Anfield is the greatest stadium in English football.

Source: https://znews.vn/liverpool-cham-dut-tranh-cai-ve-clb-vi-dai-nhat-nuoc-anh-post1549486.html