MANCHESTER UNITED VS LIVERPOOL

Been there, done that: Alex Ferguson knows how heavily the burden of history weighs on Brendan Rodgers

Sir Alex Ferguson knows from experience how heavily the burden of history is weighing on Brendan Rodgers.

When Ferguson arrived at ­Manchester United more than 26 years ago, he inherited a club that had not won the championship since 1968.

Five managers had been unable to live up to the legacy left behind by Matt Busby – a failure compounded by Liverpool’s emergence as the undisputed kings of ­English ­football.

You can watch a video special of the best XI Manchester United vs Liverpool matches everhere.

Now, 12 ­Premier League titles later, ­Ferguson has ­delivered on his promise to knock the Merseysiders off their perch.

And 35 miles down the East Lancs Road at Anfield, it is ­Rodgers who has the task of ­leading Liverpool out of United’s shadow.

Seven managers have been and gone since Kenny Dalglish lifted the last of Liverpool’s 18 titles.

And Ferguson said: “Could I have imagined Liverpool going 23 years without the league?

“Oh yes, I dreamt about it!

“I knew the challenge when I came here. In one of my early press conferences, I was told that I couldn’t let United go 25 years without winning the title. In the end we didn’t win it for 26 years – but you are made aware very quickly about the history.

“That was what it was like when I joined United and it will be the same for Brendan.

“You are aware of the history and so is everyone else – the supporters, the players. It’s not easy.”

It was after United finished a ­distant second behind Liverpool in 1988 that Ferguson realised the club needed major surgery.

The same task is now facing ­Rodgers at Anfield – and Ferguson admits that ­Liverpool’s failure to qualify for the ­Champions League in the last three seasons will hamper the Ulsterman’s work.

Ferguson said: “It took me three-and-a-half years to win a trophy and I had to get rid of a lot of players just to create space so we could buy players in. In 1989 we got rid of eight or nine players so we could bring in the likes of Gary ­Pallister, Paul Ince, Mike ­Phelan, Danny Wallace and Neil Webb.

“We knew where we were going, though. I had said to the chairman in 1988, after we had finished second to ­Liverpool, that we had a team that would never win the league. We had to start again. The transfer market today is horrendous, even for ourselves. Ten years ago I would have never paid £22million for a player in the last year of his contract like I did for Robin van Persie.

“If we weren’t in the Champions League it would be a disaster for us, and that probably applies to every big club like Liverpool.

“History does repeat itself and Liverpool will come again, no ­question.”