Chris Smalling managed to anger Liverpool fans with a provocative tweet in the aftermath of Manchester United’s League Cup final win over Southampton.
United’s 3-2 victory at Wembley put them on 42 major trophies, one ahead of Liverpool, and didn’t Smalling know it.
The defender tweeted “@LFC WATCH THE THRONE” beneath a picture of himself and Zlatan Ibrahimovic holding the trophy in the Wembley dressing room.
Shout out my man @Ibra_official …@LFC WATCH THE THRONE #MUFC pic.twitter.com/IhoYUOKJab
— Chris Smalling (@ChrisSmalling) February 26, 2017
Predictably, it didn’t go down too well with everybody.
@ChrisSmalling @Ibra_official @LFC @ManUtd lol id be embarrassed if one of our players tweeted another club after winning a trophy
— NathaLFC (@NathaLFC25) February 26, 2017
@ChrisSmalling @Ibra_official @LFC @ManUtd I remember when you used to call this the Mickey Mouse cup, oh how the mighty have fallen #6th
— Caroline Taylor (@CazLFCGleek) February 26, 2017
To @ManUtd,
From, @LFC (Probs). pic.twitter.com/QZ6Awkciru
— Sara Baeuchler (@sarabaeuchler) February 26, 2017
@ChrisSmalling @Ibra_official @LFC @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/4ZX8LtZifN
— PaaKoW (@Auqust_Garcia) February 27, 2017
There were also more than a few mentions of Liverpool’s superior tally in the European Cup.
@ChrisSmalling @Ibra_official @LFC @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/lWNFnVMTsn
— dazlfc4life. (@darren_braisby) February 27, 2017
@ChrisSmalling @Ibra_official @LFC @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/XPvvHOwFrk
— kev (@JoeLKeeley) February 26, 2017
How the trophies break down
It all depends on what you categorise as a major trophy, but if you exclude competitions with are between only two teams (the Community Shield and European Super Cup for example), then United have a narrow 42-41 lead:
Man Utd: 20 league titles, 12 FA Cups, 5 League Cups, 3 Europan Cups, 1 Cup Winners’s Cup, 1 Club World Cup
Liverpool: 18 league titles, 7 FA Cups, 8 League Cups, 5 European Cups, 3 UEFA Cups.
However, if you include international one-off matches then United add 1 Intercontinental Cup and 1 European Super Cup, with Liverpool’s 3 European Super Cups making the tally 44-44.
