It has not been a vintage season for England’s most successful clubs.
Manchester United look set for a top four finish, but had hoped for a title challenge after splashing almost £150million in the summer.
Liverpool meanwhile look set to miss out on the top four, and suffered heartache in two cup semi finals – results that have turned up the pressure on Brendan Rodgers.
Both teams will resume their rivalry next season whilst hoping for better.
Perhaps a look back at some of the talents both sides once possessed will help inspire them to better things next season.
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Click on Rafael Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson to reveal the best all-time Manchester United and Liverpool combined XI
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Edwin van der Sar
It remains a mystery as to why it took United as long as it did to bring Edwin van der Sar to Old Trafford – especially when you consider he was at Fulham prior to his move.
Having lost Peter Schmeichel in 1999, Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted to finally land a top class replacement in the form of the Dutchman in 2005.
Van der Sar went on to win four Premier League titles at Old Trafford, as well as saving the crucial penalty from Nicolas Anelka in the 2008 Champions League final, making his contribution to the club arguably bigger than that of Schmeichel.
Gary Neville
Neville spent almost 20 years at Old Trafford, and won a total of 13 league titles. Whilst arguably his finest season came during the treble campaign of 1998-99, Neville captained United to Premier League dominance for several years up until his retirement in 2011.
He left with a total of 400 Premier League appearances to his name, and managed to get cosier to David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson than anyone else in the game.
Nemanja Vidic
The Serb will be remembered as one of the biggest bargains in Manchester United’s history, having signed for just £6million in 2006.
Vidic would go on to become Manchester United captain, and enjoy no shortage of success, winning five Premier League titles and a Champions League.
The only regret perhaps is the way in which he departed, with injuries blighting his last few seasons in England before his switch to Inter Milan on a free transfer last summer – although there have been no shortage of rumours suggesting United are keen to resign him.
Jamie Carragher
The local defender will be forever remembered as a legend at Anfield, for his never-say-die attitude and leadership qualities on the pitch.
Certainly not the quickest, Carragher was an excellent reader of the game and a proper old school defender. He spent almost a decade serving the club as vice-captain to Steven Gerrard, having made his Anfield debut way back in 1996.
He won nine honours over the course of his Liverpool career before retiring in 2005, and was the main man at the back during famous European victories over giants such as Juventus, Chelsea (twice), Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid during his time at Anfield, whilst nobody will forget his defensive heroics in extra time against AC Milan in that historic Champions League final in 2005.
He can now be seen delivering pearls of wisdom alongisde former rival Gary Neville on Sky Sports.
John Arne Riise
The Norwegian arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2001, and would go on to make a name for himself immediately with superb goals against Everton and Manchester United in the opening weeks of the season. Comfortable at either left back or left wing, Riise was a useful weapon for the Reds with his thunderous left foot.
That became something of Riise’s forte during his time at Anfield, with no shortage of picture book goals during his Liverpool career.
He left the club in 2008 having won the League Cup in 2003, the Champions League in 2005, and the FA Cup in 2006, as well as being a part of the side that reached the CL final again in 2007, with the left back spot very much his own under Rafael Benitez.
Paul Scholes
It is only after Scholes retired from football little less than two years ago that people are really starting to appreciate just how special he was.
His quiet manner on and off the field meant he was often overlooked, but United and England will struggle to find a central midfielder with the quality of Scholes ever again. Interestingly, since retirement Scholes can’t seem to keep his mouth shut, working as both a pundit and a columnist.
The former England midfielder eventually hung up his boots with a collection of 11 Premier League winners medals, three FA Cup winners medals, and two Champions League winners medals.
Steven Gerrard
Sadly it has been a final season for Steven Gerrard to forget at Anfield, but as the old saying goes ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.’
It may yet be a couple of years until Gerrard is remembered as the Premier League great he once was, with bitter disappointments over the past couple of seasons having blighted many people’s view of perhaps the most naturally gifted player the country has ever produced.
The Reds captain and talisman has gone above and beyond the call of duty during his 16-year-career, and has produced arguably more ‘Roy of the Rovers’ moments than anyone else in the game.
Think of his strike against Olympiakos, the historic Istanbul final in 2005, and the ‘Gerrard final’ against West Ham in 2006, and a combined total of 19 goals against bitter rivals Everton and Manchester United.
Add to this the fact he is the only player to score goals in a UEFA, League, FA, and Champions League final, and Gerrard will be forever remembered as an Anfield legend.
Xabi Alonso
The Spaniard will be remembered as one of the best passing midfielders the Premier League has ever seen.
The signing of Xabi Alonso in the summer of 2004 took Liverpool to a new level. His midfield partnership with Steven Gerrard is still missed at Anfield to this day, with Alonso playing as big a part as anyone in the successful Benitez era.
He will be remembered mostly for his equalising goal in the 2005 Champions League final, as well as some majestic performances on the European stage.
Further proof of his quality is that in the past five years, Alonso has won the World Cup, European Championships, La Liga, Champions League and most recently the Bundesliga.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The man who holds the current title of the best player in world football made his name at Old Trafford, after signing from Sporting Lisbon for a bargain £12million in the summer of 2003.
In six years at Old Trafford, Ronaldo won three Premier League titles – having scored more than 30 goals a season in the last two triumphs – as well as the Champions League as 2008.
All of this before departing to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009, for what was a world record £80million at the time – making United a profit of £68million.
Luis Suarez
Whilst Luis Suarez was no stranger to controversy, his signing will be considered one of the best pieces of business of the Premier League era.
The Uruguayan was simply unplayable at times, and there is not a Liverpool fan who does not mourn his £75million sale to Barcelona still.
He left Liverpool with 82 goals to his name, and was so unfortunate not to guide them to a first Premier League title last term having fired 30 goals.
He is now proving his class on the European stage, with four goals in his last four Champions League games which have set Barcelona up with a semi final against Bayern Munich.
Ryan Giggs
It is remarkable to think Ryan Giggs only hung up his boots last summer, having played at the highest level for more than two decades.
Now Louis van Gaal’s number two, and the favourite to be the long term successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, Giggs is the most decorated player in the history of the English game – quite an incredible achievement.
Perhaps his finest moment came during United’s historic treble winning season in 1999, when he scored a solo goal in an FA Cup semi final win against Arsenal that will never be forgotten.
