English FA Community Shield/Chelsea v Liverpool: Rafael Benitez does not really do gamesmanship but, despite his apparent disdain for mind games, he still boasts the rare knack of being able to ruffle Jose Mourinho. Chelsea's manager may have recently ridiculed Liverpool's chances but, deep down, he perhaps realises their manager could prove his toughest adversary this season.

"Mourinho never seems to miss an opportunity to claim that Liverpool are boring and just defend leads once they go in front," said the former Anfield defender Mark Lawrenson yesterday.

"I think it's actually a back-handed compliment. I believe Mourinho sees something of himself in Benitez and suspects he might be another "special one".

"I think a lot of the rivalry goes back to Liverpool knocking Chelsea out of the 2005 Champions League. Mourinho knows Benitez lacks the money to buy people like [ Andriy] Schevchenko and [ Michael] Ballack but fully appreciates that he is still tactically good enough to sometimes beat him with players who are not quite as good."

The Liverpool manager is also surprisingly good at playing a straight bat and routinely resists Mourinho's bait. Yet even the circumspect Benitez dropped a strong hint that Mourinho might be protesting too much in the wake of his recent insistence that Arsenal and Manchester United represent the principal threats to Chelsea.

"We are better equipped than last season, we've more quality," said Benitez. "We've lost a few friendlies but we are working on different formations which is why the results have not looked so good."

Tellingly, the former Everton and England midfielder Peter Reid believes wins will arrive when games start mattering.

"I think Liverpool will be a lot closer to the title this season," he said. "Chelsea still have to be favourites and Arsenal and United will be thereabouts, but I feel we'll see a difference in Benitez's side."

Reid is intrigued by the apparent gamble the Spaniard has taken by signing two sometimes troubled talents in Craig Bellamy and Jermaine Pennant.

"Liverpool lacked a bit of pace last season," he said.

"They had drive in midfield but it all seemed to be coming from Steven Gerrard. Bellamy, Pennant and Mark Gonzalez will give them a lot more pace. I had Jermaine on loan when I managed Leeds and although he's shown a lack of maturity in the past, he's a great winger who can beat his man and puts in brilliant crosses. The disciplined environment at Benitez's Liverpool will be good for Pennant and Bellamy.

"Benitez has had a bit of a mixed pre-season and they struggled against Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League but I think the added ability to get in behind defences which Bellamy brings and the width Pennant and Gonzalez offer will improve Liverpool."

Not that the old model's record against Chelsea was exactly bad. Tomorrow's Community Shield will be these teams' 11th meeting during the Benitez-Mourinho era. While the London club have generally enjoyed the upper hand in league encounters, Liverpool tend to dominate cup dates, the notable exception being Chelsea's extra-time 2005 League Cup win.

"Mourinho knows Benitez is very, very tactically aware," said Reid, who wonders if the former has been rattled by Liverpool knocking his side out of last season's FA Cup and the 2005 Champions League.

"I think he's a bit wary because, particularly in Champions League games, Benitez's tactical brain has enabled Liverpool to compensate for the areas where, on paper, they are weaker than Chelsea."

Foremost among such flaws was a shortage of attacking pace - something the former Liverpool striker Ian Rush is convinced has been rectified by Bellamy's arrival from Blackburn.

"I've followed Craig's career closely and he's exactly the kind of class player Liverpool need," insisted Rush.

"He's fast, he's committed, he scores goals and he's a nightmare for opponents. I believe the concerns about his temperament are largely unfounded. There's definitely a Jekyll and Hyde element to Bellamy but I think he's a misunderstood character."

At least Chelsea fans can rest assured that there appears little risk of Mourinho misreading the peril posed by Liverpool's own "Special One".

Guardian Service