Gerard Houllier is locked in an amazing war of words with Ipswich chief George Burley as the FA Barclaycard Premiership season reaches crunch time at both ends of the table.
The Liverpool chief is incensed Burley has claimed that the Anfield club thought they had already clinched second spot.
The showdown at Anfield is the most meaningful clash on the last day of the season.
Liverpool need to win to claim the runners-up place behind double winning Arsenal while desperate Ipswich have to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation.
Burley jacked up the stakes by claiming: "Everyone has written us off, I have noticed Liverpool are even saying they have finished second. But we have been written off before."
When word of Burley's remark filtered up to Anfield, boss Houllier said: "I would like to put things straight.
"George Burley seems to imply that someone in this club has said that Liverpool have finished second.
"The one thing about us is that we show respect. We never assume anything, never take anything for granted and we have always had respect for our opponents."
He added: "Nobody in this club has said anything of the kind. It is true that we have put ourselves into a good position to finish second, that's what I said after the Blackburn game.
"I also said we deserved to finish second, if you take into account the run we have had.
"But we have never said that we have written Ipswich off. Either he is using twisted words or he is using one of these games to motivate his players by saying we said something that is not true.
"I can assure him nobody in this club would ever think of saying anything like that."
Houllier would not discuss the future of Nicolas Anelka, despite Paris St Germain announcing that the clubs had agreed a fee for the French striker, and was more concerned with correcting a wrong impression about his club.
It is likely Liverpool will also be able to announce an agreement with the player in the next few days now that the two clubs have thrashed out the fee, believed to be around £12million.
But nothing upsets Houllier more than a slight on the integrity of his club.
He added: "All I can say is that this club is all about respect and humility in work.
"We never said any such thing. People who know me and this club and have worked with us know that we have never shown any sign of arrogance or conceit, we never say anything about our opponents and never take anything for granted.
"We will give our best shot and we will be ready and up for it. But what I don't like is people trying to assume that we are being disrespectful, this is not like us.
"We have always been extremely careful never to underestimate our opposition even if we have confidence and believe in ourselves.
"It is something about our side and this club that we never show any signs of being conceited or arrogant, particularly towards our opponents.
"What I said was that victory against Blackburn put us in a position to be second, it's in our hands and our destiny. We can create our own destiny but we never assume things."
Liverpool will be without Chris Kirkland, Stephen Wright, Jari Litmanen and Patrik Berger through injury for a game that will see Gary McAllister making his last appearance in the squad before leaving to manage Coventry.
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