Sir Alex Ferguson claims that Liverpool is still Manchester United’s most-anticipated match despite the Anfield club’s recent slump.

Ferguson is preparing his side to meet Roy Hodgson’s team this afternoon, with the two clubs level on 18 English league titles each.

“I say time and again when this fixture comes about. It is the fixture, no doubt about that,” Ferguson said.

“Historically it’s always been that way. I don’t need to always look at the history.

“Even industrially, it has always been a competition between Liverpool and Manchester since the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal so it’s always going to be there.”

Ferguson’s interaction with Hodgson’s predecessor Rafa Benitez was notoriously frosty. The United manager maintained he never made the relationship “personal” but was full of praise for Benitez’s replacement.

He added: “I’ve never been personal. You have to examine him (Benitez), not me, I’ve never been personal.

“I’ve always enjoyed a good relationship with the Liverpool managers and both clubs have always addressed the situation properly after games. That changed under the last regime, but it’s not a big issue for me.

“Roy has got experience and did a great job at Fulham. He’s gathered a wealth of experience in Italy, in Switzerland, Finland and Scandinavia and the job he did last season was extraordinary.”

The Liverpool manager feels the fixture is comparable to the meetings between his former club Inter and Juventus.

He said: “It compares with Inter vs Juventus. The Milan derby was a big occasion but the ‘Derby d’Italia’, Inter vs Juventus, was the real killer one and it certainly compares with that. In terms of the interest it generates in the two cities and the whole country.”