Sir Alex Ferguson has recently made comments intended to support under fire boss Rafa Benitez, but are his words of encouragement part of his mind games? Have Liverpool fallen so far behind his Manchester United side that he feels they are no longer a threat?

In other words, is the hatred that exists between the two sides now somewhat redundant as they are, in many ways, no longer actual rivals? With Liverpool now 14 points back in the race for the title and 17 long years past their last league success, clearly something has gone wrong in the past few years. Sure Rafa has won cups, including the Champions League in 2005, but let’s face it, the two teams are a world apart.

Under Sir Alex’s reign United have won nine Premiership/Premier League titles and nine other major trophies, including the 1999 Champions League. In that same 21-year period Liverpool have captured (apart from the previously mentioned 2005 win in Istanbul) three FA Cups, the League Cup on another three occasions and one hugely entertaining UEFA Cup win, after an amazing 5-4 win over Alaves. So that’s hardly a comparison, is it?

'From a United standpoint, whatever rivalry there might have been in the past clearly no longer exists'


Clearly this hatred will continue to be one-sided. United can afford to treat any Liverpool attacks with utter disdain. From a United standpoint, whatever rivalry there might have been in the past clearly no longer exists.

The question is, how can this imbalance be addressed? United are a club with such a huge amount of backing and a seemingly endless supply of fans and cash from around the world. Liverpool’s new owners are financially well off, but they seem to be doing more harm than good. Whereas Fergie has stood firm to all those who have sought to change the way he runs things, Rafa seems beleaguered and seemingly on the point of doing a runner.

So, Liverpool fans , tell me:
1) Can your team hope to challenge United again?
2) Can and how would this be achieved?
3) Is Benitez the man to do it?

One would have thought that a better bet would be the man touted to replace Benitez as Anfield boss - Jose Mourinho. He's the kind of  strong-willed individual who may bed needed to relight the fire at one of the great clubs in the game's history. The problem is that history is the past, and the question is: What kind of future do the five-times European Champions have?