Sir Alex Ferguson was always good for a quote, and his most memorable declaration of all was when he reminded journalists of the scale of his achievement when leading Manchester United to overhaul Liverpool as the top force in English football.
It was September 2002 and United had made a worrying start to the season by losing successive games to Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United. Legendary defender Alan Hansen, who had hoisted so many titles with Liverpool during their dominant period in the 1980s, had suggested that Ferguson was facing the "biggest challenge" of his career.
After having the words put to him during a press conference, Ferguson instantly fired back: "My greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their f*cking perch. And you can print that." The words sure were printed, first on newspapers and then on t-shirts, and they were repeated over and over again every time United beat Liverpool or claimed another title.
The iconic phrase resurfaced when Ferguson's United claimed their 19th title in 2011 and officially overtook Liverpool as the team with the most English league crowns, and again in April 2013 when they made it 20 in his final season in charge before retiring.
But ever since Ferguson stepped down, Liverpool have been on the rise again. They might not have dominated English football to the extent that United did during the Scot's era, but they have racked up considerably more trophies, including the Champions League and Premier League, taking their tallies to six and 19, respectively.
They are now dangerously close to equalling United's count of 20 league titles, meaning many Red Devils fans will be hoping that Arsenal or even Manchester City come out on top in this season's enthralling three-way title race.
Liverpool have made such progress that last month, new United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe echoed Ferguson's unforgettable phrase when he said: "In the north west we have two neighbours who are really impressive football clubs. I want to knock them all off their perch."
As United prepare to face Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, GOAL charts how the Merseysiders dusted themselves off after Ferguson's assault and climbed back on to their perch, pushing their arch rivals off it in the process.