How times have changed for Liverpool Football Club.
Feelings of envy among the Anfield faithful that bubbled after watching football's crème de la crème arrive at Manchester United while looking inwards with hope before disappointment set in have now completely turned on their head.
The Old Trafford club, who once repeatedly claimed Premier League title after Premier League title while spending big but rarely making a misstep in the transfer market, are seemingly now in disarray while the Reds go from strength to strength and lift the most highly sought after silverware as they do so.
It is a complete 180 and much can be put down to the culture of success Jurgen Klopp has bred at Liverpool following his arrival in 2015, with the reopening of lines between the manager and the transfer committee pivotal - allowing the likes of Michael Edwards to work his magic.
And, as another transfer window draws to a close, the situation both teams find themselves in and the way in which each are operating shows no signs of changing any time soon.
Take, for example, Gary Neville's most recent outburst of disdain at his former club's lack of incomings in the transfer market to help out his friend and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer so far this term.
The pundit, who many at Old Trafford would consider a club legend, tweeted earlier this week to state: "It’s appalling that in this market, which is probably the easiest in PL history to get transfers done, that United haven’t done more yet!
"They must get Ole a CB, LB and Forward pre deadline! The others are managing to get things over the line, why not United!"
He also baulked at a reply suggesting that he wanted United to panic buy and replied to one Twitter user saying: "Panic buy! They’ve needed these positions filling for 12 months, had a national lockdown to regroup and reset and ample time to manoeuvre deals to a conclusion."
This is the same Manchester United who have, as per Transfermarkt, spent around £512.5million NET on transfers from the 2015/16 onwards.
The same United, who Neville declared "must buy" a centre-back, that shelled out £80m - a world-record fee for a defender - in order to secure the services of Harry Maguire from Leicester City just last season while they have also bought Victor Lindelof for nearly £40m when including add-ons and paid a reported £30m for Eric Bailly.
It's scandalous to say the club needs to spend more money in the transfer market - especially on reinforcements for the heart of defence - when they have consistently been the second biggest spenders by some distance behind only Manchester City in the Premier League for the last decade.
Of course, Liverpool bought centre-back Virgil van Dijk for £75m and also acquired Alisson in goal for £60m and they have both transformed the Reds defence into one of the most imperious in Europe.
But elsewhere, Jurgen Klopp and his incredible group of coaching staff have developed those inside the club to become stars like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez while also buying lesser-rated defenders for minimal fees - like Andy Robertson at £8m - and turning them into world beaters too.
United, conversely, purchased Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back from Crystal Palace for £50m while they've also spent a further £20m on Diogo Dalot as another defender who can play on the flanks and every player mentioned here has arrived at Old Trafford since the summer transfer window of 2016.
Clearly, the Anfield model is an enviable one and its success is a true testament to the work both Jurgen Klopp and his backroom staff do on the training ground and the work Michael Edwards and his revered transfer team do in the market time after time.
