Sir Alex Ferguson claims referees are more likely than players to be affected by the intensity of Manchester United-Liverpool clashes.

The two north-west giants meet at Anfield on Sunday in a Barclays Premier League fixture Ferguson regards as one of the highlights of the season.

The Scot has seen plenty of them in his near 23 years in charge at Old Trafford and expects this latest encounter to be as fiery as ever.

"Manchester United and Liverpool games are always intense," he said.

"I know Anfield has seen a lot of players sent off, but I think the atmosphere has done that.

"Referees can find it difficult when the atmosphere is charged and it will be on Sunday.

"But I think both sets of players have conducted themselves well."

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Ferguson could have been referring to the occasion when Denis Irwin was controversially dismissed at Anfield in 1999, while Nemanja Vidic saw red in both meetings between the sides last year.

Yet Ferguson feels the nature of the contests has changed on the field - if not in the stands - in recent times.

He added: "When I first started they were definitely very feisty games - with players such as (Steve) McMahon and (Bryan) Robson - and there was a different understanding of the laws of the game.

"Now the speed of the game means there is a different interpretation of tackles.

"The tackles these guys produced 20 years ago are completely different from today.

"In the main, over the two or three years, the players have conducted themselves well, knowing the intensity of the supporters."