Man Utd boss Ferguson: Liverpool our biggest rivals - for now

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson feels Liverpool remain their biggest rivals.

Yet he feels it could soon be arch-rivals Manchester City providing the derby to top the lot.

Ferguson, preparing for their FA Cup fourth-round crunch at Anfield, insisted: "At the moment, Liverpool is still the one.

"But you have to recognise City has become more than it ever was in terms of the intensity of the games and the competition between our two clubs.

"There may come a time when we won't be able to separate the two games, considering the progress City are making at the moment.

"When you look back at the Charity Shield between City and ourselves it was almost like a European final because of the intensity of the game and the way it swung back and forth.

"If we played tiddlywinks it would still be a hell of a competition, so you cannot dismiss it completely.

"But just look at the interest in this game. It's quite unparalleled."