PEP’S SPECIAL

Champions League with Porto. When quizzed about the tag, Liverpool’s boss grinned and said: “Pep’s the best in the world, no doubt about that. I see his teams playing and I know that really is exceptional.

“It’s what he has been doing since he started his career as a manager – I’ve never heard about people doing something similar.

“People in Liverpool would say differently about big Bill (Shankly) and big Bob (Paisley), but it’s hard to compare eras, as the times are completely different.

“But to still do the right things consistently with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City is obviously quality.”