Sometimes, when he takes issue with a question, you get “the Fergie stare”, and a guttural sound that is the hairdryer’s starting motor. Other times, in a good mood, Sir Alex Ferguson just laughs.

He was asked on Friday, given how much he cherishes Manchester United’s rivalry with Liverpool, whether part of him would like them to win a title so that the rivalry could blossom fully. “You must be joking!” Ferguson hooted. “Do I look like I’m a sadist and I want to hurt myself? How does relegation sound? Bloody hell . . .”

Anfield is the place on earth where Ferguson enjoys winning most. “Absolutely,” he agreed. Three years without a league victory against their enemy, Liverpool ache to defeat United today, “but it’s not a one-way street”, Ferguson continued. “Just as Liverpool are desperate to beat us, we’re desperate to beat them. Historically, geographically, the two most successful clubs in the country . . . what do you expect? It’s all good,” he concluded, grinning.

When Ferguson arrived at Old Trafford 21 years ago, Merseyside was monopolising the old First Division and his prime objective, he said, was “to knock Liverpool off their perch”. When finally he did so, with the help of Arsenal, who won titles in 1989 and 1991, he did not expect the Liver bird to flap about in distress for quite so long. United went 26 years without being champions before Ferguson won the first Premier League in 1993. It is 17 seasons since Anfield flew the title flag. Ferguson can relate to the pressure Rafael Benitez is under, although he “can’t understand” why his rival’s position remains under threat.

Benitez has not one but two big fixtures in the offing. First, United. Then, once today’s match is over, he will meet Tom Hicks and George Gillett, the owners of his club.

Tantrums over transfers took Benitez to the brink of dismissal three weeks ago. Now that he has stopped complaining and is focusing on football matches, his American bosses have signalled that he can continue as manager, but the meeting is the first time since the fallout that the “shut up or ship out” message will be delivered face to face. For his part, Benitez wants to use the summit to explain his frustrations at what he sees as a sluggish pursuit of signings, particularly, in his view, by Rick Parry, Liverpool’s chief executive. Given that Parry has the full backing of Hicks and Gillett, Benitez may not wish to sound his grievances too loudly.

Communication is the other big issue all parties want to address. “It is clear it [his position] is different now. We need to analyse why there was a misunderstanding,” Benitez said.

Ferguson commented: “Sometimes you get bemused by what happens in the game. If he [Benitez] got sacked, everyone would be saying that’s unfair because his record is terrific. It’s difficult, because when managing the big clubs there’s an expectation, normally from the fans. Big clubs expect people with experience at the helm who can deal with the situation.

“When I was first at United the board recognised not just the work I was doing with the team but with the football club. People like Bobby Charlton saw it, and Martin Edwards was always a supporter of youth development.

“It’s maybe that with American owners coming into Liverpool, there’s an acclimatisation needed, they need time to understand the English game. I don’t know how serious this is because I don’t know the situation. I read about it. Maybe the press are creating a bit of devilment.”

Ferguson sent Benitez a letter of congratulations when he won the Champions League in 2005. His sympathy, despite the northwest rivalry, is sincere. It is gratefully received. Although Liverpool’s manager was a picture of calm in advance of his big weekend, he let slip something that betrayed, perhaps, his need to be reassured about his position: he had been reading a website article written by a supporter. Three weeks ago he was considering all his options, including resigning. “I was analysing the situation, but after thinking a lot, I said to myself, ‘Okay, the best way to find a solution is keep trying to win every game, and, after, talk to them [Hicks and Gillett] about the misunderstanding’. For me, it’s very simple. If you want to win and are trying to do the best things for your club, and if they want the same, it will be easy. The question for me is trying to do the right things for my club.”

Benitez appeared to be defending his habit of bypassing Parry to get involved in wooing transfer targets, something the Americans want him to stop. This will be a key topic at the meeting. Victory over United would lighten its mood. Benitez, like all vulnerable managers, finds himself somewhat at the mercy of results. The recent defeat at Reading, though it was Liverpool’s first in the league all season, created such a storm of phone-in nonsense, it took Tuesday’s virtuoso performance in Marseille to quell it.

“Before we lost against Reading, everybody was talking about us doing well in the league. But Arsenal lost as well, so we are almost in the same position as we were before last weekend,” Benitez said. “We have one game in hand, and if we can beat United, we will be really, really close. We will have eight more points than last season. We are scoring more goals and we don’t concede too many. That’s the big picture.”

Reports yesterday that Hicks and Gillett are abandoning stadium plans because of a credit squeeze are understood to be untrue. Liverpool are still on course to build a new Anfield with a 70,000-plus capacity. Old Anfield, however, is the place to be today.