Gary Neville and Graeme Souness have clashed ahead of Manchester United's visit to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
It was in the reverse fixture that United recorded their first win of the Erik ten Hag era and have since gone from strength to strength. Liverpool meanwhile have endured a notable decline this term with their place in the top four very much under threat.
United recently picked up their first trophy in six years, claiming the Carabao Cup, and underlined their character with a gutsy FA Cup win over West Ham in midweek. Liverpool, prior to this season, had gone years without losing at Anfield and it remains a daunting place for opponents.
Neville believes that his former side should head to Merseyside with huge belief and backs them to get a result if they can score, but Souness took issue with his colleague overlooking this as their biggest test.
Neville told Sky Sports : "I think Manchester United should be really confident coming into this game. Look, they’re going to have to withstand the pressure. The atmosphere, all the things like Liverpool have got a lot of very good players, but Manchester United’s midfield is better and they’ve got a lot of experience in there.
"They’re tough this Manchester United group now, there’s players in there who won’t be fazed by coming here. If they can get through that first half an hour there is a vulnerability in Liverpool that if United were to score and punch them I think there could be a few nervous faces around this ground, including Graeme Souness, even with his confidence."
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Souness responded: "The crowd will not allow that to happen. You say you’ve got some big players, you’re correct - some, not all big players. This, and I don’t know why you’d say this is not the biggest test for them, coming here for any United team in my time playing football, my time involved with this football club, this was always our biggest game. This is a big test for your team today."
Neville clarified his comments and admitted, as a one-off game, going to Anfield is as tough as it gets for a United player but believes greater challenges lie ahead for the current group.
"As an individual game, yes. Absolutely, I was talking about the biggest test would be for them to go and win a title," he said. "In an individual game this is the toughest place you come as a United player. I don’t think what Graeme’s just said there, Manchester United over these last few months, even the game they lost against Arsenal.
"I liked a lot about what they did that day, and the confidence and momentum they’ve got means they won’t be fazed coming here today. Liverpool are vulnerable at this moment in time, they will get at them."
