Source: Telegraph
Manchester United humbling to Liverpool must be wakeup call says Rio Ferdinand
Before their humbling at the hands of Liverpool, Sir Alex Ferguson's side, unbeaten in the league since November, had been cloaked in an aura of invincibility and lauded as an unstoppable force as they seek an unprecedented five trophies in one season.[LNB]While those at the club had insisted nothing was being taken for granted, that no Ferguson player would ever allow himself to believe the hype, only on a smattering of occasions in recent weeks saw the side's on-pitch performance live up to the hyperbole. Rafael Benitez's troops' sacking of Old Trafford, Ferdinand believes, must be treated as the wake-up call they needed.[LNB] Related ArticlesFerguson snubs Sky over TV row[LNB]Vidic receives two-match ban[LNB]Have Liverpool blown the title race open?[LNB]'Liverpool the best in Europe'[LNB]Hansen: Liverpool can rival best[LNB]Papers: Liverpool's five goal thriller 'not enough' for Benitez[LNB]He said: "Losing any game is disappointing, losing to your big rivals is even worse and the scoreline compounds that. But we have to turn this into a positive. This game will have torn out any subconscious complacency.[LNB]"We now have time to dust ourselves down and get our minds on the game next week, against Fulham. It would be nice if that game was right around the corner, but we have to deal with what's in front of us." [LNB]As always, United's public rhetoric is bullish. Their manager believed his was "the better side," Ferdinand still contests Nemanja Vidic's ironclad red card – "it was debatable, as I could have got over to cover" – but in private there will be concerns over just how comprehensively Liverpool outclassed the team Ferguson regards as the best he has had at the club.[LNB]It may, of course, be too late for Liverpool this season, with United possessing a game in hand and a four-point cushion. There is a sense down the East Lancs Road that the emphatic win could prove the new dawn Liverpool have waited 20 years to enjoy but, barring a spectacular implosion at Old Trafford, this is a campaign awash with what-ifs.[LNB]"The problem is we have dropped a lot of very important points at home," Javier Mascherano said. "We have spoken about it a lot in the dressing room. When you lose points at Anfield to Hull, Manchester City and other team like that then you have to be disappointed and even more so when we have gone to Old Trafford and won so well.[LNB]"All we can do now is keep going. There are nine games to go and we need to win every single one to have a chance of catching United."[LNB]Ferguson's dismissal of their title charge sparked Rafa's famous rant and last week the Scot suggested he would need to brush up on Freud to understand the Spaniard's remarks. Benitez, in conciliatory mood, has tried to defuse the row, outlining his respect for the Scot. With the scale of the challenge to United's supremacy Anfield is mounting now clear, that is bound to be mutual.[LNB]Benitez said: "We will try to improve and be as close as possible. Hopefully Ferguson will see Liverpool as a new contender.[LNB]"I am not worried about what he thinks of me, only what he thinks of the club. I respect him, he is a great manager and there is no bad blood. Now I will try to improve my English so next time if I say something about them he will understand me." [LNB]
