Ferguson snubs press after Anfield defeat

Gill sought out Riley in the directors' box at half-time to voice his complaints about the referee, Phil Dowd, not sending off Jamie Carragher for the challenge that left a tearful Nani being taken off on a stretcher. Riley is understood to have robustly defended Dowd in an argument that sums up United's belief, since the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea last Tuesday, that key refereeing decisions are going against them.

Ferguson's post-match anger about Martin Atkinson's handling of that match has already earned him an improper conduct charge from the Football Association but the United manager was unwilling to risk talking himself into more trouble after Dirk Kuyt's hat-trick had seen Liverpool make it three successive home wins against their oldest rivals, for the first time since 1979.