Rio Ferdinand insists that Liverpool boss Arne Slot is not manager of the season with the Manchester United legend crowning Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
The Reds, who face West Ham on Sunday, are now six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand over their rivals after beating Leicester City 3-1 on Boxing Day.
Arsenal moved above Chelsea into second place in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Ipswich Town on December 27 with the Blues beaten 2-1 by London rivals Fulham the day before.
Slot could not have wished for a better start as the new Liverpool boss after leaving Dutch side Feyenoord to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield in the summer.
As well as being top of the Premier League, Liverpool are also in pole position in the Champions League group stage with a couple of matches to play.
Despite Slot’s start in the Anfield dugout, former Man Utd defender Ferdinand reckons Chelsea boss Maresca has done a slightly better job this season.
Speaking on his own YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: “It’s not a big difference. I just think Maresca has come in and took a team from being a circus, a calamity…”
Ex-Man Utd and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves quickly interjected and outlined why Slot should still be the Premier League manager of the season so far.
Hargreaves said: “He’s done unbelievable. But I’m saying if you’re top of the league, best team in the Champions League, it’s Arne. Not even a [question].”
To which Ferdinand replied: “No, no, no, I think he’s great. But I’m saying the level of change within the clubs is very different. [Maresca] has closed that margin more.
“[Slot] has had a wonderfully settled ship. The ownership in Chelsea is so fragmented, it’s in the papers every other day.
“[Slot] has had a new sporting director but it’s not unstable. It’s still a stable environment. There’s no noise. When Klopp was there, there was no noise.
“I’m fighting Maresca’s corner. He’s had more fires to put out than probably half of the league. And he’s stomped them out.”
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Ferdinand sarcastically continued: “It’s my show, my views.”
Hargreaves laughed and added: “Get Rio some water.”
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson thinks the current Reds side is totally different to the one which won the Premier League title in the 2019/20 season under Klopp.
Alisson said: “I don’t think it’s too similar, it’s two different teams. A few players still play in the team but we have a little bit different style now.
“More ball possession, before it was really straightforward: a lot of transition, a lot of intensity. That team was really special, we achieved great things, it was the first Premier League title for this club in a long time. We achieved the Champions League together as well.”
