‘I’m glad it’s not me any more’

SIR ALEX FERGUSON admits his relief that he’s not the one trying to stop Jurgen Klopp’s “phenomenal” Liverpool.

As legend has it – although not Ferguson himself – the former Man United boss was the one who finally knocked England’s most successful team of the Seventies and Eighties “off their **** ing perch” as he made his team the one to beat in the Nineties and Noughties.

But despite becoming for many the greatest manager trophies they have had together.

“That, ‘Knock them off their perch’, I don’t know where that came from, I’m not sure I actually said that.

“It has gathered a lot of mileage over the years but in reality it is ‘the’ game.

“Now I’ve retired – thank goodness I’ve retired, actually, because when I see Liverpool’s performance over the last two years, it has been phenomenal.

“I have great respect for Liverpool, always have.”