£34 million. That’s the difference in spending between Manchester United and Liverpool over the past ten years, averaging out at little more than £3 million a season.
Whilst United have spent £298 million in the transfer market, an average of £29-£30 million a year, the dippers have spent £264 million, an average of £26-£27 million a year.
Emile Heskey (£11 million) El-Hadji Diouf (£10 million), Salif Diao (£5 million), Jerzy Dudek (£4.85 million) and Bruno Cheyrou (£4 million) can account for that £34 million difference. Money well spent eh?
Former Liverpool manager, Gerard Houllier, joined the club ten years ago, and spent close to around £120 million in his six years with them. This includes transfers such as, Nick Barmby (£6 million, staying for two years), Christian Ziege (£5.5 million, staying for one year) and Sander Westerveld (£4 million, staying for two years) as well as the names listed above.
Were there any successes to list in the transfer market? Dietmar Hamann (£8 million), John Arne Riise (£4 million) and Sami Hyypia (£2.6 million) could be considered the more successful, but they’re no world beaters.
Houllier’s replacement, Rafael Benitez, has spent over £130 million in his four years at the club. Fernando Torres shines head and shoulders above his other buys, which include the likes of Craig Bellamy (£6.5 million, stayed for one year), Jermaine Pennant (£8 million, current player), Robbie Fowler and Andriy Voronin.
Now, this isn’t to say United haven’t paid hefty sums for no marks over this time period, most notably Juan Sebastian Veron, however, there is not a manager who can compete with Ferguson’s buys over the 10 year period. Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Carlos Tevez, Anderson, Gabriel Heinze and Michael Carrick, to name a few.
The question is, how much difference has this £3 million more a season made to United over Liverpool?
Manchester United
League titles: six
FA Cups: two
League Cups: one
European Cups: one (could be two next week) Real treble: one
Liverpool
League titles: none
FA Cups: two
League Cups: two
European Cups: one
Mickey Mouse treble: one
10 trophies of United to Liverpool’s five, with the impressive six league titles showing the massive gap between the clubs, despite such similar spending.
Oh well dippers, there’s always next year…
"United And Liverpool's Spending The Same...But Success So Different" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.
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about 1 month ago
who the fuck are the dippers you stupid yankees!?
you know frig all about football - us scousers are the most passionate fans in the world, and you cant buy that - unlike the bloody prawn sandwich brigade of united. All glory supporters.
go stick your cocks up fegies arse - boo hoo youve won the league loads, but the fun weel be having wen we do!
from about 1 month ago
haha stop being such an idiot. The man just states true facts and it hard to argue with facts. United are miles ahead of Liverpool and if you're happy with that then my article "Liverpool arent worthy of a CL spot" is backed by that comment...
about 1 month ago
More badly researched tripe from stupid Yanks who have absolutely no idea about football and are totally blinkered by the distance from any meaningful football.
Just look at the names on that list pf Manchester United players. Of the nine named 6 cost over ten million and 2 of them cost over 20 million. That is the spending power difference we're talking about. Liverpool have had to build and re-build squads by spending small amounts on a large number of players (many of whom as you point out were not up to scratch but bought with a limited budget), unlike UNited who have spent large amounts adding to a squad which was largely made up of a very good bunch of youth players (Scholes, Beckham, Giggs, Nevill bros, Butt, etc).
If you don't even know the history of your own team then don't even bother publishing you shite.
As for your comment about Hyypia and Hamann not being world-beaters, well, that goes some way to demonstrating your total absence of any football knowledge. Even amongst very anti- Liverpool sections of the press, those two would be considered as exceptionally good footballers, and they both have the medals to prove it.
from about 1 month ago
I don't think the writer is american actually mate.
about 1 month ago
James, i love your comment about 'Fucking'. Sounds like another glory supporter, 10 years old and follows the same shite the rest of his class at school does. Its ok, we know who we are and what passion for football is.
about 1 month ago
This writer always manages to get my blood boiling. I must confess, I did laugh when I saw the above comments. Quite hilarious, really.
about 1 month ago
Solomon my friend you need to stop advertising your "liverpool arent worthy of a CL spot" article. That truely has to be one of the worst i've ever read with errors galore. And i cant believe some of the crap that the rest of you manchester united supporters write. Do you guys even think before you say something, i THINK not.
about 1 month ago
Andrew, whether he is American or not (and if he isn't then I apologise - although at least that might have been an excuse for this badly researched drivel), so far our Manchester United glorifying friend has failed to post any form of response to any of the comments.
I'm not sure your comment itself bears any kind of weight or makes a point in itself either. Not being malicious, just wondering what you are adding to the discussion?
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