Two games into the current campaign and it looked like Erik ten Hag's reign at Manchester United would end in disaster.
The Dutchman had seen United fall to two dreadful defeats in his first matches in charge, first to Brentford and then to Brighton. That meant that Liverpool were heavy favourites heading into the first meeting between the two sides of the season.
In the build-up, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp insisted he had little sympathy for Ten Hag, but he did offer him a piece of advice. It is advice that Ten Hag has certainly taken to heart, with United unrecognisible from August.
“When I arrived here seven years ago, I don't think we hit the ground running. It wasn't 'oh God, you can see it immediately'. What I can say is that I didn't read anything," Klopp said at the time.
"That makes it easier because you know that when you're not over the moon about your own results, you don't care what people say. You don't have to read it. You don't have to be fussed by it. You focus on work and go for the little steps.
“I am pretty sure that it's the same for each club. I don't think it's anything different for bigger clubs. Sure, if you lose then the first five articles in newspapers are about that.
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"But if you are strong enough not to read that then you can have an okay life and just work on the important stuff. So that's what I have done for seven years and that helps me. That is the only advice I could give.”
The 4-0 hammering at Brentford left the Red Devils rock bottom of the Premier League table. Seven months later and things could not be more different, with United sitting third and eyeing an unlikely gatecrash of the title race ahead of Sunday's reverse fixture with Liverpool.
Ten Hag has kept a steely-eyed focus in that time, also leading United to their first trophy for six years by winning the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle last week. And on Wednesday, they reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup thanks to a comeback win against West Ham.
His success has seen him nominated for the Premier League manager of the month award. Liverpool meanwhile are enduring a disappointing season, though Klopp is hoping a midweek win over Wolves can give his side a boost heading into Sunday's clash with United.
"In the best possible way, but in the end it’s still a different game and a big challenge, of course. I think Man United is the team in form in the moment, maybe together with Arsenal and City are [also] doing well," he said.
"The teams up there are all in a pretty good moment and I didn’t see yet the line-up [for United’s FA Cup game with West Ham] but maybe they changed quite a few? That means some of them will be a bit fresher than us, but it’s a home game and it’s Anfield.
"I thought Anfield proved a point tonight again, it was super, super-enjoyable. It felt like a proper unit, we were all together – I loved that. That’s what we need again on Sunday, but of course it will be difficult.
"If you face United at the weekend whichever result you’ve had before, either way you have to strike back or whatever, but now we have to use it for our general situation. We have to build on the performance and on the result."
