Liverpool are scheduled to face Everton in the first Merseyside derby of the season on Wednesday night, with the two clubs experiencing highly contrasting fortunes on and off the pitch at present.
The Reds are sat third in the Premier League and are recognised as one of the three potential winners of the competition, whereas Everton are placed in 14th and haven't won a match since September.
There are a countless number of reasons behind the striking gap between the pair of neighbouring clubs, with much relating their football operations over the course of the past decade.
Liverpool's recruitment in particular has resulted in a total transformation of the club's status, which initially proved to be problematic under Fenway Sports Group.
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Before FSG took charge, the Reds bought ageing players such as Christian Poulsen, Joe Cole and Paul Konchesky, while also targeting youthful talents who had potential but weren't yet ready to challenge in England's top-flight, such as Luis Alberto.
Liverpool changed the manager in charge of those players fairly often. Roy Hodgson was unsuited to Anfield and was replaced by Kenny Dalglish after just six months in charge, before the Scot was dismissed 18 months later in favour of Brendan Rodgers.
The club lacked direction and nous but gradually, FSG began to make constructive and effective sporting decisions. Michael Edwards began to influence Liverpool's transfers, and Jurgen Klopp was appointed as Rodgers' successor.
The Reds streamlined their scouting department and started to identify players who could contribute immediately while also possessing enough potential to reach the pinnacle of the game, such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Gini Wijnaldum and Andy Robertson to name but a few.
Each player personified Klopp's intense brand of football and over time, Liverpool established an alignment from top to bottom. The supporters, members of staff, academy and players are united at present, which is more than can be said for the Blues.
Everton are still experiencing many of the issues that were present at Anfield in 2010, with many of those stemming from the sporting decisions made under Farhad Moshiri, who became major shareholder in 2016.
The Iranian-born businessman brought wealth to Goodison Park but since, the club have struggled to progress due to poor recruitment, particularly in comparison to their local rivals.
Everton have a net spend which is almost £60m more than Liverpool's dating back to 2017, but their squad does not reflect such investment and now, self-inflicted FFP regulations are limiting their power in the market.
A short-term approach to growth has stung the Blues. Moshiri has appointed several new managers to guide his team, from Marco Silva to Ronald Koeman to Carlo Ancelotti to Rafa Benitez, with each allowed to sign his own players.
James Rodriguez's capture last year effectively epitomised the issues associated with their approach. Ancelotti used his contact book to bring the Columbian's elite quality to Merseyside, but although he contributed, he missed numerous matches through injury and has already departed the club just 12 months later.
The perks Rodriguez offered were destined to be short-lived, after which Everton would have to restart, which has not been the case at Anfield since Klopp took charge.
Such methods have resulted in Everton's squad fitting multiple needs for different coaches rather than one predetermined identity. "We're always thinking about tomorrow," John Henry once said, which is a mindset that seems to be lacking on the other side of Stanley Park.
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