Source: Daily_Mail
Manchester United v Liverpool: It doesn't get any bigger or better than this
Sir Alex Ferguson described himself as 'a football man' yesterday and the football man who continues to dominate the global game relishes this lunchtime's encounter between Manchester United[LNB]and Liverpool[LNB]more than any other. 'It is the derby,' he said. 'There is no rivalry like it. The biggest game in British football.' Bigger than an Old Firm game between Rangers[LNB]and Celtic[LNB]? 'That's different,' he said. 'You can never understand religious wars. You never settle them. Rangers and Celtic is the most ferocious derby in the world, that's for sure. [LNB] Men apart: Rafa Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson[LNB]'I remember listening to Gerry Armstrong on television, talking aboutBarcelona and Real Madrid being the biggest derby in the world andthere wasn't a Barcelona fan in the ground. Bloody hell, has he neverheard of Rangers versus Celtic!'In England, anyway, it doesn't get any better than the showdown at OldTrafford: the tribal hatred that was expressed on Wednesday night byWayne Rooney; the global following that actually makes this the biggestdomestic club game in the world; the bitter rivalry that has suddenlydeveloped between Ferguson and Rafa Benitez; and the sheer quality ofthe individuals. Fergie's fall-guy: Sir Alex pours scorn on Rafa and his rants[LNB]Bullish Benitez ready to show the gap between Liverpool and Manchester United is closing [LNB]Zidane: Forget Ronaldo and Messi, the best player in the world is Liverpool star Gerrard[LNB]Rooney: I hate Liverpool and Man United will put an end to their title dreams[LNB]English football's greatest rivalry: A trip down sport's memory lane with Manchester United and Liverpool[LNB]What they say about the biggest rivalry in English football[LNB]LIVERPOOL FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE NET[LNB]MANCHESTER UNITED FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE NET[LNB][LNB]Ronaldo and Torres, recently voted two of the best three players in theworld, as well as Gerrard, Rooney, Tevez, Ferdinand, Vidic andCarragher. Not to mention Giggs and Scholes. 'They have always been our main rival, no matter the position in theleague,' said Ferguson. 'It has always been our derby game as far asI'm concerned; geographically, historically, the two cities. They havelong been the two most successful clubs in Great Britain and when theyget together you expect sparks to fly.[LNB] Great feeling: Liverpool's players celebrate Ryan Babel's winner against United at Anfield earlier this season[LNB]'There is a respect between both sets of players and you expect acompetitive game and what you hope will be plenty of good football, butit will have that intensity. The same as it always does.' This time it should have carried an additional significance. WhatFernando Torres referred to back in January as 'a title decider'. 'All we have to do,' said the Spaniard after finishing behind CristianoRonaldo and Lionel Messi at FIFA's world player of the year gala, 'ismake sure we are still in contention.' It proved a big ask, Liverpool the losers in a 14-point swing that hasalmost rendered today an irrelevance in terms of the title race. [LNB] Highs and lows: Manchester United celebrate winning at Anfield last year while the Liverpool players show the pain of defeat[LNB]Even Ferguson finds it hard to believe. When his side returned from theClub World Cup in Japan a few days before Christmas, Liverpool wereseven points clear. Now they are seven points adrift of a United sidewho have the luxury of a game in hand.'It's a miracle,' said Ferguson. 'I thought it might take untilmid-April to catch the others up. But we did it so quickly it'samazing. With us going to Japan, everybody expected it to throw us. Iworried about it myself. We were seven points behind but now we'reseven points ahead.'It's a fantastic achievement and hopefully it's another title. I havebeen brought up to believe that you should never count your chickensbefore they are hatched, or ne'er cast a cloot till May's oot. Don'tunderstand? You need to learn Scottish before you become totallyeducated.' United's position must be all the more satisfying for Ferguson afterthat outburst from Benitez in January. 'Disturbed' and 'ridiculous' washow Ferguson dismissed it at the time and yesterday he mocked theSpaniard with that amusing reference to Freud. [LNB] Fierce rivalry: Paul Scholes aims a punch at Xavi Alonso[LNB]He was in one of those moods as he held court at the club's Carringtontraining complex. Why, Ferguson was asked, are his verbal rantingshailed as carefully orchestrated acts of managerial genius whileBenitez has simply been dismissed as a manager who has lost the plot? 'If I remember correctly you said I was cracking up three years ago!'he said with a chuckle. 'You said my shelf life had gone.' [LNB]Head to head: Gerrard and Anderson clash[LNB]Men like Benitez have extended that shelf life, even if Ferguson isreluctant to include him in that pantheon of managers who have emergedas genuine pretenders to his crown. Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, hecan accept. But Benitez? Right now Ferguson would not appear to behaving him.It represents quite a shift when Ferguson sent a letter to Benitezcongratulating him after Liverpool's Champions League trophy in 2005.But a shift that Ferguson would probably blame on Benitez for daring tocall it on. For daring to accuse the elder statesman of the Englishgame of a one-man assault on this season's Respect Campaign. 'Arsene Wenger and I have had our fall-outs, no question about that,'said Ferguson. 'But you must respect the quality of the football heproduces. That's the benchmark of an Arsenal team and it has Wenger'sstyle running right through it. 'Liverpool played well this week. It was a good performance. It was notReal Madrid as we know it but you still have to perform. We respectLiverpool.'And Benitez? 'Anyone who manages Liverpool is always a rival to me,' hesaid. 'Over the years there's been Kenny, Roy, Gerard Who? Oh Graeme,Christ, sorry. I'll get one of his tackles next time I see him. They'vehad a few. They are always going to be our main rivals, and for thatreason it doesn't matter who manages Liverpool. It's history.' Indeed it is.[LNB] Fergie's fall-guy: Sir Alex pours scorn on Rafa and his rants[LNB]Bullish Benitez ready to show the gap between Liverpool and Manchester United is closing [LNB]Zidane: Forget Ronaldo and Messi, the best player in the world is Liverpool star Gerrard[LNB]Rooney: I hate Liverpool and Man United will put an end to their title dreams[LNB]English football's greatest rivalry: A trip down sport's memory lane with Manchester United and Liverpool[LNB]What they say about the biggest rivalry in English football[LNB]LIVERPOOL FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE NET[LNB]MANCHESTER UNITED FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE NET[LNB][LNB] [LNB]
