Manchester United investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe quotes Sir Alex Ferguson in warning to Man City

Sir Jim Ratcliffe channeled the wisdom of Sir Alex Ferguson as he outlined his desire for Manchester United to knock City "off their perch" and "smash them" on the pitch.

Ferguson famously said in 2002 his "greatest achievement was knocking Liverpool off their f-----g perch" and new United co-owner Ratcliffe expressed a similar sentiment.

"Well, they are one of the best teams on the planet," Ratcliffe said of City in a briefing with journalists. "We have a lot to learn from our noisy neighbour and the other neighbour.

"They are the enemy at the end of the day. There is nothing I would like better than to knock both of them from their perch. Equally we are the three great northern clubs who are very close to one another.

"They have been in a good place for a while and there are things we can learn from both of them. They have sensible organisations, great people within the organisations, a good, driven and elite environment that they work in. I am very respectful of them but they are still the enemy."

Ratcliffe conceded his quote was a reference to Ferguson. "It is actually. He was the first one who came out with that expression. I am in the same place as Alex - 100 per cent. He was fiercely competitive and that is why he was successful. We have to be the same.

"I remember Queen Victoria was present at the first Americas Cup when we challenged America in 1851. They sent a yacht across called America. We had eleven yachts and we had a race around the Isle of White. It was hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron.

"In the end, the American boat - called America - won the race. Queen Victoria turned to the commodore and said 'Did we come second?' And the commodore said: 'There is no second.'"

Ratcliffe added he does not wish