Ahead of this afternoon’s match against Liverpool, Sir Alex Ferguson has recognised just how well Manchester United have done in his time, but is insistent that we need to look to what more there is to win, rather than what we have won already.

“It’s a hell of a haul,” he said. “But we have to try to be better than that. It’s not a matter of trying to overtake Liverpool, it’s about trying to win extra titles. How you replace Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville is very difficult. But players like Darren Fletcher, John O’Shea, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney can carry on the tradition of how you win trophies here. Knowing how to win it is sometimes better than having the ability to win it. I don’t count up all the cup finals I’ve been in, and it’s the same with the league. It’s such a tribal league we’re involved in, with the rivalries. It’s hard to match a Liverpool versus United match in terms of the intensity, the crowd. There’s a hatred there. I’ve always looked on this as the biggest derby of the season, even though that has changed, with Manchester City having thrown down the gauntlet in a different way.”