Manchester United and Chelsea are scared of Liverpool, claims Rafa Benitez

Rafa Benitez believes there is no bigger compliment to Liverpool's potency than rival bosses attacking his team.

Jose Mourinho did it for years at Chelsea, constantly sniping about the Anfield club's negative tactics and their "phantom" goal that won the first Champions League semi-final between the two clubs.

And now, after several years of patronising indulgence, Sir Alex Ferguson has also recognised the threat Liverpool offer in the title race by sending almost incessant criticism down the M62.

"It is because he is a little bit scared," said Benitez yesterday.

"What Ferguson is saying about Liverpool shows that he is finally worried about us, and the challenge that Liverpool can make to his team, and I agree that is a compliment.

"We are stronger, we have a much better squad now and we have the quality to go all the way in both competitions now.

He knows that, and maybe that has changed his attitude towards us.

"I had a very good relationship with him. He was very, very polite after we won the Champions League in Istanbul and sent a letter congratulating us for our tactics.

"I went with him to Switzerland on a coaches forum, and we sat together talking on the plane.

"But maybe it has changed because we are doing better, and that is what I like to think about my team. I will always protect my team, but the main thing in all of this is that we have a better squad that can win more trophies."

While Ferguson seems a more recent convert to the anti- Benitez club, Mourinho was perhaps its founding member, and tonight's Champions League showdown with Chelsea is underscored by the lingering resentment between the two sides.

Tonight is the NINTH meeting between these two sides in this competition in four years.

The first six games were overshadowed by an intense war of words between the Spaniard and the current Inter Milan boss.

Yesterday, as he prepared to welcome Guus Hiddink to Anfield, it was clear that his own resentment towards Mourinho still persists.

"I will say that Chelsea was a fantastic club before, and it is a fantastic club now. I respect their stature, and I respect the club, but maybe I didn't like the style of Mourinho.

"I have to defend my club. If people say things against Liverpool I will speak out, and it doesn't matter who it is.

"It's true that I don't like the style of management which criticises other teams, my team.

"Ranieri did a great job in signing players and then Mourinho did a good job in winning trophies.

"Grant and Scolari did a very good job, and Hiddink is a great manager. Mourinho is a very good manager too, but I preferred the style of the other managers."

The Merseyside club have already beaten Chelsea twice in the league this season but the Spaniard added: "I don't think the past will count for anything.

Yes, we have shown we can win and win well at Stamford Bridge this season, but we can not be complacent about that, because we will have to repeat that level to go through," he said. "It will be a very tough."

"We are strong enough to challenge in Europe and to challenge Manchester United for the title, but we have to go out and win all our games to show that can happen."

Get your hands on this week's estimated jackpot of £100,000 by playing the New Football Pools .

Find out what our resident Premier League fan bloggers think - and let them know your views.

Follow every Premier League game live with our brilliant Match Tracker .