FSG have already left Liverpool’s legacy as Man Utd’s ‘famous’ feature is another headache for Jim Ratcliffe

Sir Jim Ratcliffe had an inauspicious start as a minority owner of Manchester United. While he hasn’t had time to get his feet under the desk yet, he can’t be pleased that his takeover of all things football has coincided with a slump in results that threatens any sort of European involvement next season.

Nor did his early reforms strike a particularly inspiring chord. Liverpool’s owners FSG have often got things wrong, but there will be no jealousy among Reds fans just yet after a process of airing feelings over a potential sale ultimately came to nothing.

Ratcliffe recently hit the headlines for a memo complaining about the mess around Man United’s facilities. He also issued a mandate to return to the office – far from being the first high-profile boss to ignore the benefits of remote working, these changes, however, hardly scream of a club whose home will finally be in order, not least because the offices are not currently set up to accommodate a fully in-person workforce.

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Ratcliffe is also set to try to address big-box issues, and one of the biggest he faces is the same dilemma that FSG faced when they first arrived at Liverpool. Indeed, it’s a common question for new, ambitious owners: stick or twist in the stadium?

Business people must realize that they are inheriting community institutions, not mere cash cows. Often, they are dealing with more than a century of history when it comes to deciding whether or not to uproot a team from its turf.

However, Ratcliffe is said to be in favor of abandoning Old Trafford and building a new (independent) ground, although he is open to renovating the existing stadium. And to be fair, it’s clear that something drastic needs to be done.

As the home defeat to Arsenal drew to a close, rain cascaded through the leak in the Old Trafford roof, creating a waterfall on the steps. Sky Sports presenter David Jones jokingly described the “Old Trafford waterfall” as “world famous”.

This is not a claim to fame that Manchester United, once the most successful team in England, would like to have. However, as well as summing up their rapidly deteriorating season, the rain on the roof seemed to sum up the bigger problems facing Ratcliffe as well, epitomizing stagnation and decline compared to rivals such as Liverpool.

FSG, of course, ultimately chose to keep Liverpool at Anfield. They have engaged in a constant process of upgrading and upgrading the ground to the point where it now has a larger capacity than the Emirates, an expensive and state-of-the-art development not long ago.

How often has Jürgen Klopp invoked Anfield history when inspiring a historic performance? That’s not to say they couldn’t have succeeded at another home, but the weight of Liverpool’s past is contained in that stadium. The visiting teams are not just playing the 11 players selected by the manager of the day, they are looking to overcome decades of precedent that insist home advantage is paramount within these four walls.

Ultimately, Anfield is part of what makes Liverpool special. And in the midst of all FSG’s mistakes, over ticket prices, the Super League and everything else, it hasn’t severed that fundamental connection.

If and when FSG finally call it a day, they will leave Liverpool in its historic home, but having prepared Anfield for decades to come. That’s a significant legacy to leave behind, and as Ratcliffe contemplates Old Trafford’s infamous leaky roof, he could do a lot worse than look at the old enemy. Whatever decision he makes, it will take years for Manchester United to have any hope of truly catching up.