Manchester United boss charged by FA over pre-Liverpool comments

Manchester United boss

Mourinho added appointing Taylor for the 17 October match had put "pressure" on the Manchester-based official.

Former referees' chief Keith Hackett was among those to question the Professional Game Match Officials Limited's (PGMOL) decision to assign the match to Altrincham season-ticket holder Taylor, claiming it would be "intolerable" if he got a big decision wrong.

Mourinho said: “I think Mr Taylor is a very good referee but because such pressure is being put on him I think it will be difficult for him to have a very good performance at Anfield.

“I don’t really want to say too much more on the matter.

“I have my view but I have learned a lesson, if you want to call it that, by being punished so many times for my words about referees.”

The former Chelsea boss – who was slaughtered by his former side on Sunday in a 4-0 Stamford Bridge drubbing – has until 6pm on Monday to respond.

The Portuguese was given a one-match stadium ban and fined £40,000 in November after the FA backed referee Jon Moss' claims that the then-Chelsea manager refused to leave the officials' changing room and verbally abused him and his colleagues at half-time of a defeat at West Ham.

Mourinho was also fined £50,000 for claiming that referees were afraid to award penalties against his side last season after the Blues were beaten 3-1 by Southampton in October.