Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho answered questions concerning Liverpool’s lack of trophies and their spending in his press conference ahead of his trip to Anfield.
Liverpool host their north west rivals on Sunday afternoon hoping to keep their unbeaten run intact and remain at the top of the Premier League table.
The Reds finally appear to be real contenders to win the top flight title, something they have failed to do since the introduction of the Premier League in 1992.
And it hasn’t just been the league that has eluded Liverpool in recent years, with their most recent trophy being more than six years ago; Liverpool beat Cardiff to win the League Cup in February 2012.
Since Jurgen Klopp was named the club’s manager in 2015 they have lost three successive finals – Europa League and League Cup in 2015/16, and the Champions League last season – and questions have been raised over whether Liverpool can be praised as one of Europe’s best teams if they continue to fail to win silverware.
“I don’t know, depends on the way you approach it,” Mourinho replied when asked whether trophies matter.
“I think trophies matter, it matters, especially when you have the potential to fight for trophies and especially when you clearly say the objective is to win the trophy.
“I think sometimes to just say is not very intelligent, but when you have the potential, you have nothing to hide, you know from day one your potential and your desire has a relation with the potential because to say we want to win.
“Everyone can say that but another is to say the potential in a way you have but I think Jurgen said already they want to win the Premier League, that is their objective.”
Liverpool have risen to become one of the challengers for the Premier League by spending a lot of money.