Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has attempted to break down why the Red Devils took over Liverpool as the dominant force in English football during the second half of the 1990’s.
Upon the appointnent of Alex Ferguson, Liverpool had cemented themselves at the very summit of the game in England, having won the first division title on a staggering 18 ocassions, while managing to win the European title four times up until that point – a total which was higher than any other team in the entirety of the United Kingdom.
After winning their first league title under Ferguson in the mid-90’s with a very youthful squad, Manchester United never looked back as they eventually replaced the Reds as the leading club in the country.
Gary Neville has suggested that the reason for that takeover in terms of dominance, was due to the way Liverpool players were taking care of themselves.
The ex-United star says the drinking culture in the Reds’ dressing room is what began to hinder their success on the pitch.
Speaking at the Soccer Science Conference at Hotel Football in Manchester, Neville told Training Ground Guru: “When we came through there was still a drinking culture Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday, every club was doing it.
“We stopped, we didn’t do it, and we won four out of our first five league titles purely based on fitness because the rest of the clubs were still drinking.”
Neville then suggested a Liverpool team that included the likes of Jamie Redknapp, David James, Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler and Jason McAteer, had been unable to match United for a clear reason.
He added: “Think of Liverpool and the Spice Boys, they didn’t get that nickname for nothing. They were still going out and drinking. We weren’t.”