Sir Alex Ferguson can smile again as Manchester United's best display under Louis van Gaal secures win at Liverpool

They stood alongside each other, peering anxiously towards The Kop. As a sea of red and white jerseys jostled and pointed fingers, Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton never blinked.

Then, as referee Martin Atkinson restored order, Ferguson cracked. Turning to see who was on the row behind him in Anfield’s Directors Box, Ferguson could not help himself. 

Suddenly he was beaming, his smile born of elation and contentment: victory had been confirmed.

Winning at Anfield mattered more to Ferguson than anything else when he shaped Manchester United’s destiny and retirement hasn’t dulled the desire. That smile and subsequent tap on Charlton’s shoulder, told you everything about how he was feeling.