Liverpool co-owner John Henry has admitted that returning the club to its previous standing is an ongoing challenge for him and Fenway Sports Group partner Tom Werner.
FSG took over Liverpool in October 2010 with the club in a perilous financial situation and Henry has likened the task to the one that he faced with baseball club the Boston Red Sox.
"The best analogy is that you can't turn an ocean liner around like you can turn a speedboat," the Liverpool Echo quotes Henry as saying. "When you look at the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United, Liverpool isn't holding up its side.
"That is the way it was with the Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The Yankees were just completely dominant when we arrived. We had to do everything in our power to get on a level footing with them on the playing field.
"That was a tremendous challenge. You could say Liverpool is an even bigger challenge than the Red Sox."
Liverpool finished eighth in the Premier League last season, their lowest league position for 18 years.
