United boss Ferguson fires new salvo in battle with Benitez

Apr 17, 2009, 16:48 GMT

London - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson continued his war of words with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez on Friday, accusing him of treating opponents with contempt.

He criticised him for describing Liverpool's city rivals Everton, whom United face in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final, as a small club.

'Everton are a big club, not a small one which Benitez arrogantly said,' said Ferguson.

He then condemned the Spaniard for a gesture he made during his team's 4-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, when he seemed to indicate at 2-0 that the game was over.

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce was equally offended by Benitez's attitude.

'But arrogance is one thing,' Ferguson went on. 'You cannot forgive contempt, which is what he showed Sam Allardyce last weekend.

'When Liverpool scored their second goal he signalled as if the game was finished. I do not think Sam deserved that.

'Sam has worked so hard for the LMA (League Managers' Association) and he's had a weakened team. I just thought it showed contempt.

'In my experience no Liverpool manager has ever done that. It was beyond the pale.'

Allardyce has reviewed video evidence of the incident, in which Benitez crossed his hands over his chest.

'I think if everybody has a look back at his gestures you will see them as pretty dismissive to me and the Blackburn Rovers team as a whole,' said Allardyce.

'I was hugely disappointed by those gestures. I think they were disrespectful and quite humiliating.

'Having looked at them again this week, I think I'm right and everybody will see why I'm complaining.

'The feeling was that he had written us off. It was open arms and then a crossover of the arms as if to suggest that was it.

'I admit it was a hard game, a difficult game for us, and we were well beaten by an outstanding Liverpool side.

'But in terms of respect, you don't expect those sort of things to happen in a game of football. I was very, very upset by it.

'The game is hard enough as it is without a fellow manager doing what seemed to be an undermining gesture.

'I then waited to have a word with him after the game in his room, but as usual and unfortunately, he didn't turn up.

'Not explaining himself by not turning up in his office really shows what he is like.'

Ferguson is notorious in the English premiership for attempts to mentally needle other managers.