Alex Ferguson had more reason to be invigorated yesterday when Manchester United's chief executive, David Gill, publicly declared that the 64-year-old will be invited to remain as manager next season.
Ferguson will be acutely aware that beating Liverpool does not make up for some of United's other disappointments this season, but Gill went as far as saying the Premiership's oldest manager could stay at Old Trafford "for many years to come".
"Alex has the full support of everyone at the club," Gill said. "He has the energy, enthusiasm and appetite to ensure we get back up there challenging for the league. Alex has been the best Manchester United manager, if not the best manager in European football, and we are looking forward."
Ferguson will be grateful for such unequivocal backing after a season in which the highlights, beating Chelsea and now Liverpool, can be set against a hugely disappointing Champions League campaign and, irrespective of yesterday's results, the inevitability of another league title going to Stamford Bridge. Yet, he is still reliant on a favourable end-of-season verdict from the Glazer family before it is guaranteed he will remain at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, Sven-Goran Eriksson will meet corruption investigators at the English Football Association today to discuss his apparent claims that three Premiership clubs have been involved in illegal transfer dealings.
The FA moved swiftly last night to give England's coach their backing and urged full support for the World Cup campaign after another weekend dominated by the Swede's injudicious observations to the News of the World's "fake sheikh".
In the second instalment of the elaborate sting operation, Eriksson and his agent Athole Still appeared to suggest that backhanders were commonplace in the transfer market.
Eriksson was reported as saying managers always got involved with transfers and "put money in their pocket".
The remarks implicated three clubs, although the tabloid did not reveal their names. Eriksson said he would co-operate fully with the FA's compliance unit, but in a statement dismissed claims that he had described Premiership clubs as being "riddled with corruption".
He and Still said they had been reacting to a topic of debate initiated by their hosts which was already being discussed in football circles and the media. "At no time did either Mr Eriksson or Mr Still claim to have any evidence in relation to improper transfer dealings in football," the statement said.
Brian Barwick, the FA's chief executive, spoke to Eriksson yesterday and will discuss the allegations with him today. The FA did not know the exact nature of the allegations until they saw the News of the World, despite extensive conversations with Eriksson after last week's revelations. They included his intention to leave his contract two years early, taking over as manager of Aston Villa and indiscretions about England players, including David Beckham and Michael Owen.
Leading FA executives yesterday decided that the compliance unit should investigate the allegations. This is standard practice and, while the FA stresses they have a duty to investigate, they cannot act unless they have hard evidence.
The FA said they had requested details from the News of the World of all the conversations that are alleged to have taken place with the paper's reporter, Mazher Mahmood.
Finally, Norwich have agreed a fee with West Ham to pave the way for Dean Ashton's £7.25 million transfer to Upton Park.
The England under-21 striker is expected to agree terms with the Hammers and complete the switch in the next 24 hours after the Canaries revealed a fee had been agreed.
