Ferguson vs. Benitez

That time of the season where mind games between teams start to arise is upon us. It was obvious that Manchester United was going to be involved as manager Sir Alex Ferguson is known for the art of mind-playing.

Still, without a Jose Mourihno in the Premier League, it is up to the other managers to play Ferguson's game. This time is Rafael Benitez, whose Liverpool squad stand at the top of the league. Benitez has hit out at the Man U. legendary coach after he was complaining about referees and fixtures.

In a statement, Benitez blasted Ferguson saying, "We had a meeting in Manchester with managers and the Football Association about the respect campaign and I was very clear, forget the campaign because Mr. Ferguson was killing the referees, killing Mr (Martin) Atkinson, killing Mr (Keith) Hackett."

He went on to ask, "How can you talk about the respect campaign and criticise the referee every single week?''

The very unsual statement features an enraged Benitez complaining about Ferguson's ability to get away with situations other managers can't. He says that Ferguson is ''the only manager who will not be punished'' when attacking refs.

Before Benitez's outburst, Ferguson had stated that Liverpool would not be able to deal with the pressure and would consequently hand the title to United. Benitez obviously didn't like that. "I think they (United) are nervous because we are at the top of the table," the manager said, according to soccernet.com.

Ferguson has yet to start his mind-playing game as he's probably busy getting ready for the upcoming match with Chelsea and also preparing for an Eurpoean classic against Mourihno's Inter.

So, what are the thoughts? Does United take the title or does Liverpool stay strong? Will the Red Devils' boss scare Benitez and break his concentration or will the Spaniard prevail? Let me know what you think and remember, Chelsea is still a strong contender for the title.