SIR Alex Ferguson, widely considered one of the greatest managers in football history, says he is glad he does not have to face Jurgen Klopp's "phenomenal" Liverpool as a manager.
Ahead of the much-anticipated Liverpool v Manchester United match today, the United legend, who guided the club to 13 Premier League titles, says he has "great respect" for the Merseyside club and what they have achieved over the last two seasons.
"I've always considered the Manchester United and Liverpool derby the game of the season," said Ferguson, speaking in aid of Sports United Against Dementia and the League Managers' Association's charity ‘In The Game’. "Quite simply, they are the two most successful teams in Britain when you add up all the trophies they’ve won together.
“In reality, it is the game. Liverpool's success over the 70s and 80s was phenomenal. To do that, I had to take a road that was always going to be difficult, it meant I had to wait in terms of building the club. Eventually, it turned out fantastically for us.
“Now that I’ve retired ─ and thank goodness, I’ve retired, actually ─ because when I see Liverpool’s performance over the last two seasons ─ they’ve been phenomenal. I’ve got great respect for Liverpool, I always have.
Ferguson also recalled how United almost signed Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson before he joined their bitter rivals in 2011.
"We were ready to make a bid for him," he said. "There was criticism from [former Liverpool boss] Brendan Rodgers about my assessment of Jordan.
"The actual story was we were ready to make a bid for him at Sunderland. I spoke to [Sunderland manager] Steve Bruce. Our scouting and medical department said they weren't happy with his running style.
"They said he could be the type to get injuries. I had to make sure players would always be available. But we loved Jordan as a player.
"He has proved that now. All the stories I hear about him tell me that I missed out on a really good person."
Here’s your chance to not make the same mistake that Ferguson did with KIckstox, the ultimate football trading game for online fantasy football players.
Show off your football mettle and challenge naysayers by trading stock of your favourite players during the big match tonight between Liverpool and Manchester United and prove you have what it takes to create the best team ever!
Find out more at: https://kickstox.com/?battle_code=d14vd6anLA2N1&ref_code=JweXkvVgwg9Ag ─ The Vibes, 17 January, 2021
