Relations between Manchester United and Liverpool have been uneasy over the past six months, but on the eve of their eagerly awaited showdown at Anfield in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday, there was a surprising show of support yesterday within Old Trafford for Rafael BenÍtez.

Carlos Queiroz, the United assistant manager, expressed disbelief that the Liverpool manager should find himself under pressure and commended the job he has done, but while such niceties are unlikely to extend to the pitch or erase the memory of the acrimony that surrounded the Gabriel Heinze transfer saga, they served to underline the threat that the champions believe Liverpool pose.

“After everything Rafa has done for Liverpool, he doesn’t deserve to be under this kind of pressure,” Queiroz said. “I’ve known him for a long time and he is a great coach and a great man.

“I think the bad things of continental football are arriving in England. In the past five years there has been a definite change, more coaches are under pressure than at any other time I can remember, and it is a bad thing.” With Liverpool six points behind United, albeit with a game in hand, Queiroz says he has never seen the Merseyside club “looking so strong in the league at this point of the season”.

“The current side has better balance than in previous seasons, their consistency is much better and they have had some very good results,” the Portuguese said. “They are strong, well balanced, with good organisation and very good defensively, and, as always with BenÍtez, they also have players who are showing they have a lot of ability and skill.”

One of those is Fernando Torres, a player United passed up the opportunity to sign amid suspicions that he might struggle to adapt to English football, but with 12 goals Queiroz has been impressed with the Spain striker.“He can see short spaces that others can’t see and he has the ability to penetrate these areas, with the ball or without it,” he said.

“He’s a good finisher and he’s a player who gives Liverpool something completely different. He can beat a player, create space, make time, and is making a great contribution.”