It is perhaps a sign of how far Liverpool have fallen that today's papers have generally not devoted many column inches to previewing their visit to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United in what was, this time last season, billed as a title decider.

But the Telegraph is one paper that has put a little bit of a focus on the game, with Henry Winter specifically interested in the battle of the strikers - Wayne Rooney v Fernando Torres.

"Shortly after joining Liverpool in the summer of 2007, Fernando Torres was invited to a meal with Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Sammy Lee and Michael Robinson, a quartet of the liveliest dinner companions imaginable.

Torres sat enthralled as this footballing Fab Four enthused about Liverpool's great history, about the philosophy behind the Kop's chant of "attack, attack, attack'' and rivalry with foe such as Sunday's opposition, Manchester United.

As they left the restaurant, Torres murmured his appreciation to these charismatic club ambassadors for giving him such an insight into such a special club.

Souness responded by thanking the humble Spaniard for listening to "a load of nostalgic old men''. The distinguished foursome's enduring passion for the red shirt showed Torres that Liverpool are a club that weave their way into a player's soul.

Many footballers, and not only foreigners, often fail to understand the culture of the institution that employs them. Many are just passing through, picking up the pay-packets, the plaudits and the occasional medal."

Elsewhere, and the Champions League draw is still fresh in most people's minds, with Ian Hawkey at the Times still dazzled by the brilliance of Lionel Messi - a player who he fears will tear Arsenal apart in their quarter-final encounter.

"The difficulties presented to opponents by Lionel Messi are countless. Try to force him onto his so-called weaker side and you swiftly discover his right foot is a dainty and devastating tool. Tell him he’s not much of a target man and he’ll head a goal in a Champions League final. And now Messi is posing a new challenge to managers and head coaches. Their problem is finding the right superlatives.

On Wednesday Christian Gross, a multilingual erudite man, reached into history. After seeing Messi score two stunning goals to help eliminate his Stuttgart team 5-1 on aggregate from the Champions League, he searched for the sort of comparison that would reflect the dazzle Messi’s football shines on the sport. “You can certainly liken him to Maradona,” said Gross. “And remember he is only 22 still. He’s just fantastic.”

Messi cast as The New Maradona? That was once a prophecy. In Barcelona, where the original Maradona spent two years, the comparison has long been taken as fact. There, they reckon Messi has superseded Maradona. So Pep Guardiola, seeking fresher mots justes, finds himself obliged to reach beyond the frontiers of his own sport and across the Atlantic. “Messi is what Michael Jordan was to the Chicago Bulls,” beams Guardiola, Barça’s head coach, “or Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers. The very best always make something happen.”