Sir Alex Ferguson: 'Brendan Rodgers needs time'

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has expressed his belief that Brendan Rodgers needs to be given time to transform Liverpool.

Rodgers has not made the best start to his time at Anfield, failing to win any of his four league games so far, leading some people to call his managerial ability into question already.

Ferguson believes that young managers should be given enough time to make their changes, but acknowledges that patience is a rare commodity in football, citing Andre Villas-Boas's stint as Chelsea manager last season as an example.

"Any young manager needs time but in the modern world you don't get a lot of that," said the veteran manager.

"Look at Villas-Boas at Chelsea last season. He was a young man who lasted about seven months.

"We're in an age where patience is not a realistic thing. It's just not there."

The two managers will come face to face on Sunday as Liverpool welcome United to Anfield.