Sir Alex Ferguson denied that he felt Manchester United had knocked Liverpool "off their perch" after the Red Devils won their 19th league title.
They lifted the Premier League a decade ago on Sunday, drawing with Blackburn Rovers to ensure they finished ahead of Arsenal. The point at Ewood Park and the title that came with it also saw them pass Liverpool's tally of 18 first division titles.
That made them the most successful team in English domestic football, with no club yet to pass them. That is despite the Red Devils' last title win coming a decade ago, with Ferguson's legacy as one of Britain's best managers assured.
The Scot though insisted that he was not concerned about passing Liverpool in the stakes of Britain's most successful teams. Instead, he was focused on the achievements of his Red Devils side.
"It's not so much passing Liverpool. It's more important that United are the best team in the country in terms of winning titles," Ferguson said after United's 19th league title was secured.
"That thing about knocking Liverpool off their perch, I don't think I actually said it. It's the same with the FA Cup. We have won it more times than everyone and now we have won the Premier League more times than anyone."
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The title was secured with a team that many considered to be one of the poorer league-winning sides Ferguson managed. But the Scot insisted that his team deserved credit for beating the Gunners to top spot.
"It is not fair to say it's a bad Manchester United team or a bad league. It is a tighter league, a harder league to win. Any campaign has got blips for anyone. You have got to look at the league in general," he added.
"Let's not get carried away. The treble season was something special. I don't think anyone will ever do it again. We made a go at it, as a manager of the club, you have to try that.
"But I didn't think it would happen. I thought we would get knocked out somewhere along the line. Fortunately it was the one you would want to win least of all because the Premier League and the Champions League are paramount."
The majority of United's title wins came under Ferguson's management and 2011 was far from vintage. Even the Scot's squad admitted they were far from the legendary status of past groups, but Patrice Evra insisted his manager always had the goal of winning a 19th title at the front of his mind.
"This is special, really special. The manager put really big pressure on us. I remember after the defeat at Arsenal he said, 'Do you really not want to win the 19th title? Are you crazy? Now you've got to win it. How many titles are you going to throw away?'" Evra said.
"It was very important to win it here otherwise someone would have got the hairdryer. You can see he's like a kid. It's like he's just won the league for the first time. He's given that winning mentality to everyone, that hunger to try to win, that's Sir Alex Ferguson.
"When Cristiano Ronaldo was here he did a great job but the team was playing for him and maybe people forget that. But since Carlito [Tevez] and Ronny have gone United look more like a team. I don't say that we're better without Ronny but, sure, we look more like a team.
"That's an achievement as well. If you were asked to pick one player this season, I don't think anyone stands out. That's why the credit for winning the title this season goes to the Man United spirit."
