London, Mar 21 : Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez believes Old Trafford is about to witness the toughest job in football to stop their golden boy Fernando Torres from scoring.

Benitez reckons that Manchester United face a huge task in shackling the Spaniard as his own side do in keeping Ronaldo quiet.

"The key to stopping Ronaldo? Maybe the key is stopping Torres. Of course we know that Ronaldo is in form but Fernando is too," he said.

"The understanding between players, especially those up front, is always important. Fernando is already a very good player and only young. So though he is playing really well, he can also do better in the future," Benitez said.

Torres, a club record 21.5million pounds summer buy from Atletico Madrid, has so far scored 27 goals in all competitions, The Sun reported.

Before Wednesday's win over Bolton, United boss Alex Ferguson demanded more protection from officials for the likes of Ronaldo.

"Ferguson was talking about protecting Ronaldo. But it's just as important to protect the likes of Torres, Gerrard and all the top players," Benitez demanded.

ANI