Football: Legend Cally tips Reds to challenge Chelsea; DOWN TO UNITED v LIVERPOOL.

LIVERPOOL legend Ian Callaghan is sure clashes with Manchester United will soon be more about scrapping over second place.

For much of Callaghan's 19-year Anfield career that ended in 1978 and the period since, the north west giants went head to head for the game's major honours.

But the emergence of Chelsea under big-spending Roman Abramovich sees Jose Mourinho's men out of sight at the top of the Premiership.

Ahead of their meeting at Old Trafford on Sunday, Liverpool lie 17 points behind Chelsea and a point behind second-placed United, but have two games in hand.

The Red Devils, so dominant in the 1990s, have won the Premiership just once in the past four seasons while Liverpool have not been crowned champions since 1990.

Callaghan, who has made more appearances for Liverpool than anyone else, is certain that Rafael Benitez's men will launch a more sustained bid for the title next term.

And he thinks without a start to the season that saw the Reds win just once in their first seven matches they would be pressing Mourinho's side now.

He said: "This season Liverpool had a bit of a sluggish start, but if they'd got off to a flyer we would have been up there with Chelsea.

"Mr Benitez has got a fantastic squad and he keeps adding to it. We're capable, certainly for next season.

"There is that rivalry with United. At the moment we are the in-form team and I can't see us getting beaten.

"If Chelsea go on the way they're going, second place would be great, but we keep hoping that Chelsea will have a blip and there are still a lot of games left."

While it may have little bearing on the destination of the Premiership title this season, Callaghan is loath to play down the importance of this fixture and is looking forward to seeing Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney on the same pitch.

"It's the second biggest game of the season," Callaghan continued. "The Everton game is the big one, but next to that is Manchester United.

"We've always had great respect for one another going back to the days when I played against the likes of Law, Best and Charlton.

"It was always a buzz to go there and I'm sure it is for players today.

"Rooney's a special player, an incredible player, but looking through our team, I feel the same about Steven Gerrard. What a talent and one of the best players in the world."

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Ian Callaghan in action