I am not surprised by the comments from Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez towards Manchester United and their manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.
After all, Liverpool had a down-to-the wire battle with Manchester United for English Premiership supremacy, only to fall short in the end. Verbal warfare was ongoing between Benitez and Ferguson since January, and where that should certainly come to an end as the title chase concludes, Benitez refuses to let go.
First, Benitez claimed that the team that won the title was not the Premier League's best.
Then, he refuses to congratulate Ferguson directly on winning the title, stating "I will say congratulations to Manchester United. They have done well, but I do not want to say too much. I prefer just to say well done to the club, a big club, a good club....." and "When you are prepared to pay £20m or £30m for players it is easier to win the title."
I know how hard it is to end a season short of your own goals and aspirations - you feel gutted for your players, staff and yourself. Saying that, at some point, you collect yourself and maintain your dignity, respect and professionalism.
I am an admirer of Benitez as a tactician, and feel that he has brought Liverpool to great heights during his reign. I know that in the heat of the battle, emotions run high. Saying that, when the battle is over, you also need to show respect - not only to your opposition, but to yourself and your supporters as well.
BBC Sports chief football writer Phil McNulty wrote on this very topic.
Sir Alex Ferguson - on the rare occasions when Manchester United have been denied the Premier League title - has traditionally written a letter of congratulation to the victorious manager.
And when Rafael Benitez led Liverpool to Champions League success against AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005, Ferguson was again prepared to put pen to paper.
It is hardly a major feat of deduction to guess that Benitez will not be moved to prose in praise of Ferguson after United equalled Liverpool's tally of 18 titles.
If he could not bring himself to utter verbal congratulations to Ferguson when pressed at The Hawthorns on Sunday, Benitez is unlikely to put it down in writing.
He was prepared to salute Manchester United but made a point of not congratulating Ferguson - putting the latest coating of acrimony on a soured relationship between the pair.
The problem Benitez has here is two-fold. Firstly, even though Ferguson will be supremely indifferent as to whether he receives bouquets from Liverpool's manager or not, it makes his Anfield counterpart look petty and a bitterly sore loser.
It also came hard on the heels of Benitez's questionable claim that United may not actually be the best team in the Premier League - they simply won more points than anyone else.
Secondly, and more importantly, the man who holds the trophies wins the arguments and Ferguson has beaten Benitez hands down by securing a third successive title.
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