“Of course we will need similar support today. The rivalry between Liverpool and United is known all over the world. The main reasons for this are the history and success of the two clubs involved as well as the quality of the competitions that take place between them.
“Some will be tempted to get lured by the rankings and draw conclusions about what might happen today based on that alone. For me this can only be a mistake.
“Despite my extremely limited knowledge of this match as a participant, I know full well that this is a match that comes down to the performance of the day and not the points scored on the scoreboard before.
“That’s not to say I don’t recognize that United have had a tough time of late. Their results did not live up to their expectations and all the members of their club will want to remedy this. I imagine they will think there is no better place to start this process than at Anfield
.
“United have always been a club that plans and invests to succeed. It was exactly the same in my first summer in the Premier League, when they once again underlined their ambition in the transfer market to join a team that already had plenty of quality.
“The problem is that we live in an age where success is always expected to be immediate, but the reality is that, more often than not, it takes time to build something meaningful.
“I welcome Ruben Amorim, his players and staff, and the Manchester United fans to Anfield. I would also like to send you my best wishes for the new year, even if it is clear that the rivalry between our clubs does not allow us to share the same ambitions!
