SOCCER:ALEX FERGUSON'S relationship with Rafael Benitez plummeted even further last night when he followed up Manchester United's 3-0 win over Chelsea by accusing the Liverpool manager of being "an angry man" and talking with "venom". Benitez claimed to have been inundated with support for his outspoken condemnation of Ferguson, and intensified his attack on United by citing a possible conflict of interest between David Gill's position as chief executive at Old Trafford and his role at the English FA.

Diplomatic relations between the two managers were called off when Benitez described Ferguson, in a list of carefully presented grievances, as being "the only manager in the English league who cannot be punished" for offences against referees.

"You have to cut through the venom of it," Ferguson responded. "That's my only response. There was a lot of venom in what he said and I don't understand where it has come from. I think he was an angry man. He was obviously disturbed about something but I think when he reflects on it he will surely realise it is wrong. Hopefully he will reflect and understand that what he is saying is absolutely ridiculous."

Benitez not only repeated his complaints, but dragged Gill into his argument that United receive favourable treatment from the authorities.

"The situation now is we are at the top of the table and they were saying Liverpool is not a threat," Benitez had said.

"Now they know we are a threat, they have started playing mind games. But I don't think it's a mind game when you already have control over everything; it's a mind game when you are on the same level as the other people and you can show you are cleverer than the others. But when you have control of everything and your chief executive in the FA and things like this, then that is not mind games.

Asked about Gill's position, Benitez said: "It is a fact that one person who has a lot of power and control and is on a lot of committees is in the FA."