BACK in 1988 when Sir Alex Ferguson was a mere mortal of a football manager and facing the sort of pressure that Rafael Benitez is under today he made a prediction.
"This isn't just a job to me," Ferguson said. "It's a mission. I am deadly serious about it. Some people would reckon too serious. We will get there, believe me. And when it happens, life will change for Liverpool and everyone else – dramatically."
Liverpool fans laughed at Ferguson then, but there will be few smiles on Liverpudlian faces when United visit Anfield on Sunday. Instead there will be a mix of anxiety and envy.
Anxiety for the outcome following a midweek defeat against Lyon in the Champions League which laid bare the shortcomings of Benitez's squad.
Envy at the fact that United, over the past 20 years, have eclipsed the domination of Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s.
Liverpool fans remain fond of waving their banners bearing five European Cups – two more than United. But they do so with less fervour these days.
Why? Because they know that by every yardstick used to gauge the success of a football club United are ahead. By a distance.
For those brought up amid the pioneering days of Bill Shankly and the glories of Bob Paisley and the famous old boot room, that must be hard to take. It is why Sunday carries such significance.
Liverpool v Manchester United is not just another fixture, it is the match which epitomises the tribal nature of English football.
Defeat on Sunday would virtually end all hope of Liverpool lifting the Premier League title this season. It could also be the end for Benitez. Not immediately. Not even perhaps this season as his new contract signed last summer means it would cost north of £20million to replace him. But a fifth successive defeat would focus intense scrutiny on what he has achieved these past five years. Two Champions League finals, that's true, one of them won against AC Milan in fairytale fashion in Istanbul in 2005. Yet for that Liverpool have forked out £230m, signed 76 players and rarely looked capable of mounting a serious challenge for the domestic title. That is a high price to pay for mediocrity.
Another quote from Ferguson from 1988 went down in football folklore. A thrilling 3-3 Anfield draw saw United full-back Colin Gibson sent off and left Ferguson complaining about opposing managers who "have to leave here choking on their own vomit – biting on their tongue, afraid to tell the truth".
The truth, according to Ferguson, in those days was that referees and players alike were intimidated by the Anfield atmosphere. These days Anfield is in danger of becoming just another ground. That says it all about how far a mighty club has fallen. Yes, life has changed for Liverpool. Dramatically.
Benitez has himself suffered a barrage of criticism after the club's worst run of defeats in 22 years, yet Gillett remains fully behind the manager, claiming the Spaniard is "absolutely as good as there is in the business".
"We have just entered into a long-term agreement with Rafa," he said, recalling the improved deal Benitez signed in March to keep him on Merseyside until 2014. "Our family is extraordinarily pleased with him, we believe that he is absolutely as good as there is in the business. The run of results disappoints everybody. Certainly, it disappoints the fans and it disappoints Rafa. I have seen his television interview and I know that he is disappointed. We are all disappointed, but we are in this together."
Benitez also received some positive news on the injury front ahead of Sunday's clash, with England defender Glen Johnson confident he will be fit to play.
Captain Steven Gerrard, who suffered a recurrence of his groin injury just 25 minutes into Tuesday's 2-1 defeat to Lyon, and striker Fernando Torres, who missed the match with a groin problem, both underwent intensive treatment yesterday. That will continue right up until Sunday's showdown with the champions, with Torres the more likely to be fit.
Gerrard's problems are believed to be a more serious concern for Benitez. But it looks like he will have Johnson back on Sunday.
The full-back said: "The injury is a lot better, I will be all right for Sunday. We did not test it today, just soft tissue work and massage, but it seems a lot freer than it did on Tuesday.
"I think Fernando might be all right for Sunday but I am not too sure about Stevie."
