Paul Scholes tries really hard not to laugh at Steven Gerrard's lack of Premier League titles

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Defence of Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho came from an unlikely source on Wednesday night: Steven Gerrard.

The former Liverpool captain was in the BT Sport studio watching Manchester United’s turgid 1-0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League.

It came just five days after United laboured to a 0-0 draw at Anfield, a game in which Mourinho was accused of being an "enemy of football" for his defensive approach.

But the result at the Estadio da Luz also represented United’s ninth clean sheet in 13 games this season – and they now sit top of their Champions League group and second in the Premier League.

While admitting that the game he had just watched was “boring”, Gerrard could not help but defend Mourinho’s record of success.

Pointing to his fellow pundits Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand –winners of a combined 17 Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson – Gerrard suggested some of the Portuguese manager’s critics are too harsh.

“They’ve played in teams who have won leagues and in really exciting teams,” Gerrard explained, “but for someone who hasn’t won the league I see it more as clever management and tactically spot on if they go on to win it.”

It was at the point Gerrard mentioned his own lack of Premier League titles – zero in his 17 year Liverpool career – that the camera turned to Scholes who appeared to be trying his very hardest not to laugh.

They may be teammates on the BT Sport panel, but some old rivalries will never die.