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Sir Alex Ferguson walks out during the Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Manchester United at Villa Park on February 10, 2010(Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

The celebrations were still likely ongoing in the home dressing room at Old Trafford when Alex Ferguson looked towards his next conquest as Manchester United manager.

Liverpool's historic enemies had just outlasted a spirited chase from Rafa Benitez and his players in May of 2009 to go level on league titles with their most fearsome of rivals, but Ferguson was already looking past his latest and, at the time, greatest achievement.

Speaking shortly after a goalless draw with Arsenal confirmed league title No.18 for the Red Devils, Ferguson reflected: "The great challenge now is to try to win it next year because that would be something special.



A 19th league title would give us a special place in the club's history.

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"I am already thinking about next year.

His aims of a fourth successive title were to be dashed by Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea the following year but by 2011, it was United who were English football's most dominant side, securing their 19th championship with a draw against Blackburn Rovers.

By this point, Ferguson was more circumspect, denying he had ever actually coined a phrase that is famously attributed to him from the 1990s about the clubs' rivalry and knocking a dominant Liverpool "off their f****** perch" back.

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"It's not so much passing Liverpool," said Ferguson.

If the Glaswegian had adopted a softer outlook to toppling the Reds once it was actually achieved, it's fair to take him at face value in 2009 when he spoke so deliberately about it being a burning ambition.

In many ways, then, Liverpool's great equaliser is surely Ferguson's worst nightmare, particularly given it comes against the backdrop of what is being served up at Old Trafford in 2025.

With Liverpool the champions of England once more, it sees the two behemoths of the game level on league trophies at 20 apiece, at a time when United are at their lowest ebb in decades.

Shockingly, United have lost 15 times this term - some under former boss Erik ten Hag - and Ruben Amorim and his players find themselves in 14th with just four games left to negotiate.

It will see them record their lowest finish of the Premier League era and Amorim's Europa League semi-finalists appear light years away from even mounting a half-credible challenge for the Premier League as things stand.

"Slot has secured his place in Anfield folklore by restoring parity with Ferguson.

Even if City and Arsenal were at the same level as last year, we would still win the league and it's been an unbelievable achievement.

"A new coach coming in, doing this and we have seen so many times after Ferguson, big coaches who leave and the new coaches who come in and can't do the same.

"Everything has come together.

Slot signed and I thought he had a great base, attackers and midfielders."

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How much such records hold sway in the dressing rooms themselves is unclear, particularly with a younger and more cosmopolitan squad who aren't reared on this rivalry, but having gone level with United on 20, the desire to take the record outright will be more acute at Anfield when the 25/26 campaign gets underway, one suspects.

That will be Slot's next challenge, even if he will be forgiven for basking in the current title glow a little longer than Ferguson once used to.


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