Gary Neville has already made his usual mistake and Liverpool can only benefit

It's that time of the year again. You know, the one where everyone predicts Liverpool to finish miles off where the Reds tend to end up. This time, it's Gary Neville leading the charge .

In 2021, no BBC pundit predicted Liverpool to win the Premier League title and yet Jurgen Klopp's side was only a couple of results away from winning a quadruple. Jermaine Beckford, who thought Leicester City would come inside the top four and that Liverpool would finish outside the top four. The Reds finished second and Leicester came eighth.

Last year, six out of the 27 pundits in the same survey had Liverpool coming outside of the Champions League places and elsewhere, Neville was bullish about Manchester United . He declared that Klopp would happily accept a swap to get Erik ten Hag's midfield, which looked daft as Casemiro and co floundered.

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A year on, Arne Slot has arrived as the new head coach at Anfield and Liverpool is yet to make a signing this summer. But nonetheless, it is amazing how much of an impact the transfer market can have on predictions. It is easy, it seems, to forget that the Reds already have quite a few good players — hence the need for new arrivals isn't quite as desperate.

On the latest episode of Stick to Football , Neville, Jamie Carragher , Ian Wright, Roy Keane and Jill Scott had their say on the upcoming season. No one had Liverpool down as Premier League winners — fair enough, you might say. Manchester City and Arsenal will both take some beating. But some of the other predictions were eyebrow-raising to say the least.

Neville, as ever, is convinced that Manchester United will finish inside the top four. But he responded: "I'm not sure" when asked about Liverpool, much to the bemusement of Jamie Carragher.

"I made a statement last year," Neville said. "They had Szoboszlai , Mac Allister and Endo. Those three midfield players — would you swap Casemiro, Fernandes, McTominay, Eriksen and Mount? I'd rather have Manchester United's group at the start of last season but Klopp got unbelievable performances out of them three."

Keane wasn't sure about Liverpool either — without any additional signings, which might yet come — and Wright, despite having predicted the Reds to make the top four to begin with, was then convinced to select Aston Villa. Neville went for Spurs to make the Champions League places ahead of Liverpool and even claimed the Reds would finish outside of the top six.

It is true that Liverpool looks a couple of players light. Martin Zubimendi would have been a major addition at the base of Slot's midfield and he would have unlocked a few of the more attack-minded players that have been filling in. Another center-back would be useful, too, when it comes to coping with the volume of games that are to come.

But for Liverpool to be overtaken, it would not only require the Reds to get worse — something that doesn't happen when you don't sign anyone; you simply don't get any better — but also those below to improve substantially. Manchester United, still with Ten Hag in charge, is unlikely to do that, while Aston Villa will have to cope with the Champions League schedule for the first time.

As Carragher noted, Unai Emery's side has brought players in, but it should not be forgotten that it has also lost Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby. It has been busier than Liverpool this summer but has not substantially closed the gap. 'Winning' the transfer window doesn't normally equate to winning on the pitch; underestimating Liverpool, meanwhile, will only help the Reds.

Newcastle United will improve, one of Chelsea's many signings might actually work out, and Dominic Solanke will help Tottenham, but none of those sides looks as good as Liverpool. Until the last few games of last year, the Reds were right in the mix for the title.

That is not to say that the Reds can be complacent. To overtake Manchester City and Arsenal, there is a need for a world-class holding midfielder and some extra quality and a freshening up across the rest of the pitch would do good for Slot's side too.

But every year, Gary Neville dramatically overestimates what Manchester United is capable of while desperately talking himself into playing down Liverpool's chances. Two days before the new campaign kicks off, it seems we have the 2024/25 viral video just sitting there ready and waiting to be clipped.