A TWELVE-YEAR managerial rivalry will finally resume at Old Trafford later today, when Newcastle’s former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is confident he will still receive a supportive reception from the “United fans”.

Benitez and Manchester United boss Mourinho have had numerous run-ins on the touchline and spats through the media since their first season in the Premier League, when they crossed swords during and after the Champions League semi-final second leg between Liverpool and Chelsea in 2005.

Since then they have criticised each other’s tactical approach, the fortunes of their respective clubs and Benitez’s wife Montserrat Seara has even previously got involved by claiming that her husband has spent much of his career tidying up the mess of the Portuguese.

Mourinho hit back but it will be interesting to see what the pair get up to in the technical areas at Old Trafford this evening when they will face each other for the first time in ten years.

That last occasion saw Liverpool and Chelsea finish goalless in August 2007 and since then they have gone onto manage many different clubs, with Benitez actually following Mourinho into some of his previous jobs at Inter Milan, Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Asked if they are older and wiser now? Benitez replied: “I think so. Older, that is obvious, and a lot calmer and more relaxed, because you have more experience. You know what's important. The main thing is the players. You have to concentrate on that. You have to be sure you get the best from your players.

“I don't want to waste too much time talking about that. You try to do the best for your team and your club. Then it depends on your rival and your targets. After that, you know you have to concentrate on the games.

"In this case, it's more important for us. Newcastle United is a team that, at the moment, has to work very hard if it wants to closer to Manchester United.”

Given Benitez’s association with Liverpool, who he led to Champions League glory in 2005, his latest trip to Manchester to face Mourinho and the Manchester United fans is given extra spice.

The Newcastle manager said: “I am convinced that the ‘United’ supporters will support me - because THEY are the Newcastle United supporters. My concern is Romelu Lukaku, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial … you have to go there and focus on that.”

Nevertheless, despite Benitez’s best efforts, the game does present an opportunity for two managers perceived to be a couple of the best in the world to go head-to-head in the Premier League once more. Does Mourinho top the lot?

Benitez said: “I cannot give that answer. It doesn’t depend on what you win, it depends on what you do during the week and during the game.

“With a small team there are a lot of very good managers. In a bigger club they could be winning very well. There are very good managers in South America and Asia.

“It’s not fair, because if you have more money, you can buy better players and win more games doing nothing. A team in the middle of the table can do very well to avoid relegation, and that’s a massive job.

“When we won with Valencia we were doing well. When we won with Liverpool we were doing well but could you say we were the best team in the world? Not really. There were other teams spending massive money with very good players. As a manager you have to manage the players you have and fight to bring the best players possible.”

Benitez’s problems with signing players in the summer were well documented. Those will be highlighted again tonight when he has to do without the injured Christian Atsu down the flank and skipper Jamaal Lascelles.

He said: “I was watching the other day when Rolando Aarons was playing for the Under-23s and keeping an eye on him, both in that game and in training. I was also watching Jacob Murphy training.

"Ayoze Perez was also playing as a winger last year, so I was watching all the options and analysing what we can do. We will see because it's a massive game against a good team.

"But the players they have to give everything. Sometimes it's not about whether they do 'well' now, or if they are at the level you are expecting - it's if they give everything.

"We were practising this week with all of them and giving them tips about what they need to do. If they try to do these things, they will still make maybe some mistakes because they are young players - that is the point.

"What you need to remember as well is that when you have just one game a week and you are doing well, it is very difficult to change the team because you can change maybe one player here or there, but to have Atsu or Matt Ritchie doing well it is difficult to give chances to the others.

"If you have four and you have two who are playing almost every game, then it is tough to give the chance to the other one. That means they won't have the Premier League experience at the moment - OK, fine, but it's a question of time that he will keep improving."