We are currently in the middle of the international break, which means no club football this weekend. Instead, various national teams will be playing each other, with some of those preparing for arguably the ultimate prize in the game this summer, the World Cup.
Obviously club teams can not win the World Cup, but some may see the UEFA Champions League (UCL) as the equivalent to that for clubs. The UCL pits the best clubs from the best countries in Europe against each other, and there is almost nothing like it. The anthem before each game, the atmosphere it produces, the clashes in styles, tactics, and ways of thinking go head to head to determine which one is the best.
All this being said… I think (next season, since this year it is out of reach) I would rather win the Premier League as a Liverpool fan.
Before I explain why that is, let me start by saying that Liverpool should have the ambition for being called the biggest club in England. And I think two things stand out when making this argument.
For starters we have to be a relevant threat for the league title and the UCL year in and year out, which I think we are. For example, Aston Villa have won the UCL before (it was named something else back then) and have won a few top flight league titles before. Now, they are not even in the top flight and have not appeared in the UCL for a long time. At the current moment, they are not that relevant in England (no offence to any Villains out there!). Fighting for the top titles year in and year out boosts our claim for being the best in England, and we are doing that.
The other thing that stands out when talking about being referred to as the biggest club in England is mentioning the number of UCL titles and Premier League titles. Right now we sit at five UCL titles, the most in England. United have three. However, are behind United in league titles won by two. We had a substantial lead and then gave it away, one because it has been too long since we have won the league, and two because United did really well under Ferguson. It bothers me that we gave that lead up, and to United no less. I want that lead back. I want the Premier League title. Like I mentioned, it has been way too long since Liverpool has lifted that trophy. The UCL was also a while ago, but at least that has been won in the 21st century. That is right, we haven’t even won the league in this century, the last win being 1990.
So it is time we start winning the league again. Obviously I would like to win both. And I think everyone agrees that the UCL is the bigger prize. But we need that league title, and if I had to pick one right now, it would be the league. We have to be the biggest club in England, no questions asked. And winning the league again is how we can do that.