Sir Alex Ferguson: Liverpool Midfielder Steven Gerrard Is Not ‘A Top, Top Player’

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Scot launches a bitter attack against his old foes from Anfield in his new book. 

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Sir Alex Ferguson has reignited his long-running feud with former Liverpool head coach Rafa Benitez in his newly released autobiography, claiming that the Spaniard’s biggest error was to make things “personal” with the one-time Manchester United manager, according to reports in the Daily Mail.

The Scot has used the publication of ‘Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography’ to once again launch a savage attack on the now Napoli boss, who was in charge at Anfield between 2004 and 2010.

The pair famously clashed after Benitez’s memorable “facts” rant against Fergie in January 2009 at a time when the two bitter rivals were going head to head for the Premier League title.

However, the 71-year-old has now labelled his adversary’s Reds teams from that period as the “most unimaginative Liverpool side I ever went up against”.

And Ferguson then goes on to claim that “the mistake he made was to turn our rivalry personal. Once you made it personal, you had no chance, because I could wait. I had success on my side,” before saying that “Benitez had more regard for defending and destroying a game than winning it”.

But the ex-United boss also spoke of current Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who he bizarrely suggests was not a “top, top player”.

Although Ferguson does then go on to reveal that in the summer of 2005: “We made a show of him in the transfer market, as did Chelsea, because the vibe was that he wanted to move from Anfield.

“But there seemed to be some restraining influence from people outside the club and it reached a dead end.”

Finally the veteran manager takes one final parting shot at compatriot and ex-Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish over the Scot’s handling of the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra affair back in 2011, saying: “If it had been a reserve player, would Kenny have gone to such lengths to defend him?”

And, Ferguson said of the Merseysiders’ decision to then back the controversial Uruguay striker with their now infamous T-shirts, even after the player had been found guilty by The Football Association of racially abusing Evra: “I thought it was the most ridiculous thing for a club of Liverpool’s stature.”

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