Ferguson vents his fury at 'ridiculous' referee
United manager risks FA wrath after latest rant about officials after Terry plunders victory for Chelsea
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Sir Alex Ferguson described referee Martin Atkinson's performance as "absolutely ridiculous" after Manchester United lost 1-0 at Chelsea and fell five points behind Carlo Ancelotti's Premier League leaders.
A bad-tempered match was settled by Chelsea's winner in the 76th minute, when John Terry and Nicolas Anelka rose to head a free-kick from Frank Lampard. TV replays suggest Anelka had the final touch, but Chelsea captain Terry was claiming it afterwards.
Ferguson was furious that Atkinson had not disallowed the goal for a foul by Didier Drogba on Wes Brown. The United manager was also upset about the award of the free-kick, for a foul by Darren Fletcher on Ashley Cole.
Wayne Rooney was seen mouthing the words "12th man" to Sky TV cameras as he left the pitch at the final whistle. Ferguson, who is already facing a charge of improper conduct over his comments about Alan Wiley's fitness after United's 2-2 draw with Sunderland last month, said: "Clearly Darren Fletcher has won the ball.
"He's never touched Ashley Cole who just jumped up in the air, and then Drogba has pulled Brown to the ground at the goal. The referee's position to make a decision there was absolutely ridiculous. He can't see it.
"There was a Chelsea player standing right in front of him and he doesn't even move. It was a bad decision, but what can you do? You lose faith in the refereeing sometimes. That's the way the players are talking in there. It was a bad one. That goal should not have been allowed."
Ferguson has criticised Atkinson before, for not giving United a penalty in an FA Cup tie with Portsmouth in March 2008.
Chelsea manager Ancelotti criticised United players for moaning too much to the match officials, after Fletcher mimed waving a card. The Italian said: "I think the United players protested a lot. I don't know why. I don't like this, for sure."
Ferguson claimed his side had had the better of a tense contest, and deserved to have won. "We've dominated the game and had great chances to win the match," he said.
"And that's our fault. Some of the football we played getting up to the box, and some of the chances in and around the box, and we should have finished them off, but you do need a break. We never got the break we needed."
Chelsea now boast a five-point lead over United, who have been champions for the past three seasons. Terry said: "It's exactly what we wanted – to be five points clear. It wasn't the best of games, but we deserved it. Another clean sheet. Even the attackers got back and defended for the team. That's what we want them to do and that's what they did."
Terry played despite newspaper reports yesterday that his father, Ted, 55, had been filmed selling cocaine in the toilet of an Essex wine bar.
Ancelotti said: "I don't know the story about John Terry. We spoke about the game, nothing else. I told him to block Rooney. And I think he did that very well."
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Comments
He's looking more and more like one of those people who get more and more bitter against the world as they age, complaining about everyone and everything that won't accept he knows better than them because he's older. Of course the reality is that he can't accept his team is just not good enough,.
He should call it a day at the end of the season before his apoplexy does him damage.
Or ends up as a character in Viz.
Ha Ha! You should get that copyrighted, berthadeeblues. Though now you mention it, I'm kind of reminded of Big Vern:
To (mis)Quote: "The humour of the [comic] strip centres around Ferguson mistaking normal and innocent activities (such as a trip to a football match) for criminal escapades, such as armed robberies (the opposition winning) or kidnappings (not enough time added on to win or draw). He always hangs around with his friend Mike Phelan, an easy-going and normal man who is perplexed by Ferguson''s conviction that he and Phelan are both mobsters."
Ferguson is the biggest joke in football, a man without dignity, condemned to forever rage against a world he doesn't understand.
Regarding the match and the ref, well, I'm laughing my head off that the men in black are sticking it back at old Puceface Ferguson where it hurts: points-wise. I can freely agree that any 50/50 decision that matters is not going their way - ever since that rant re Wiley. Good! It's the only way he's gonna learn to shut up!
That said, let's take yesterday. Yes, Carvalho was lucky to stay on the pitch (just how many fouls is he allowed per game?), but Evans' karate challenge on Drogba was a straight red, three match ban. (Vidic's laughter on the touchline was also contemptuous and worth of punishment.) I can't believe that MOTD2 completely ignored this fact, as if they had already decided that their post-match review was to highlight the away team's centre backs and Fletcher. Fletcher did play well, but it's a relatively easy gig being Mr Destructive in the midfield: frankly, I thought he was Lucas Leiva-like at times. He was never gonna win them the game, was he?
Trafford's problem #1 is Ronaldo - the lack of. Valencia's hash shot at the end - Trafford's last real chance - said it all. By the by, Valencia's temper tantrum challenge on Lampard late on was at least a yellow card offence (and again, not even shown on MOTD2!).
Trafford's problem #2 is central defence. Simply, that collective rep was destroyed by Torres and Gerrard last April: Vidic is now seen for the slow thug he always was, and new hope Evans is clearly following the Puceface protocols in match temperament. Fact is, Drogba did enough to mentally unhinge their defence and win the game for Chelsea ie another set-piece goal!
I also don't agree with MOTD2 that Terry's challenge on Valencia in the first half was a "stonewall penalty" - tussles like that happen every game and the defender usually gets the benefit of the doubt as it's not directly at the goal.
Re Chelsea's goal: no, it should not have stood. I don't think Drogba fouled his marker (Evans?) that much; the defender went down like a girl - but Drogba was blatantly offside and interfering with play.
But we come back to this: old Puceface shouldn't be constantly questioning the ability (fitness! Eyesight! Big game mental toughness) of referees, should he? His personal crack-up after every defeat is hugely enjoyable and symptomatic that the wheels are coming off! (Have been ever since Barcelona thrashed them back in May and Ronaldo sulked off to the sun, if you ask me.)
Evans kicks Drogba in t5he chest deliberately, and Drogba gets a yellow! Then he kicks Carvallio deliverateky, and only gets a yellow. Giigs is barely touched, but the ranting red face man forces the ref to dish out a yellow card.
While there is mandatory punishment for 3 or more people surrounding a referee, the Man U players do it constantly, and nobody dares take action.
The thug manager is supposed to be awaiting punishment for a serious ref attack (whose deadline incidentally was November 3rd!!!), but since has slaughtered 3 other referees, and yet the David Gill FA do nothing; perhaps they will write another letter to ask him to kindly explain.
Then there are these Man U fan who are crying injustice.
SO SO PATHETICALLY !
1) October 2009: Andre Marriner's decision to dismiss Nemanja Vidic against Liverpool rather than Jamie Carragher.
Fergie said: The Vidic booking was the worst decision. It is a foul, fine. But the player has played on, he won the second ball and knocked it for a throw in and got booked. It put Nemanja under pressure.
2) October 2009: Alan Wiley's decision not to add any more injury time at the end of Manchester United's draw with Sunderland.
Fergie said: "I was disappointed with the referee. He didn't add on any time for the goal. He played four minutes and two seconds. He was also walking up the pitch for the second goal needing a rest. He was not fit enough for a game of that standard. The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit. It is an indictment of our game.
3) August 2009: Chris Foy's decision to allow play to continue after Michael Ballack had floored Patrice Evara in the Community Shield.
Fergie said: "The referee saw it, he clearly saw it. Im disappointed because he has stopped the game twice before that. Once when Ballack went down he jumped up and was back on his feet again in seconds. That decision cost us the game. Weve said it time and time again, all we want is consistency.
4) November 2008: Mike Dean's decision not to send off Hull's Michael Turner during United's 4-3 win at Old Trafford.
Fergie said: "The player's already been booked so the referee's failed in his duty there. It should have been a red card as he was right through."
5) September 2008: Keith Hackett's decision to rescind a red card awarded to John Terry by Mark Halsey, clearing him to play in a crucial league game against Manchester United.
Fergie said: "My information is that Hackett told Mark Halsey to rescind the red card and he would not do it. Now I understand that Halsey is being made to referee in the Second Division this weekend. I just don't understand how this could have happened. If it had been a Manchester United player, Hackett would never have done this for us."
6) March 2008: Martin Atkinson's decision to award Portsmouth a penalty and send off Tomasz Kuszczak during the FA Cup tquarter-final at Old Trafford.
Fergie said: "Managers get sacked because of things like that and he's going to referee a game next week."
7) December 2007: Mark Clattenburg's decision not to protect Manchester United players enough during a 1-0 defeat at Bolton.
Fergie said: I told [Clattenburg] exactly what I thought and he didnt like it. I told him just how bad he was in the first half.
8) November 2007: Howard Webb's decision to award Arsenal a 92nd minute equaliser after Edwin van der Sar thought he'd kept William Gallas' header out.
Fergie said: "It is very difficult for the referee ... at times, he favoured Arsenal. Their second goal came from him not giving a free-kick for a foul on Louis Saha on the far side. It should have been a foul for us!"
9) April 2007: Herbert Fandel's decision to send Paul Scholes off during United's 2-1 defeat to Roma in the Champions Legaue.
Fergie said: "I can't have any complaints about [Scholes's] first booking but I do have complaints about the second one. In a big game like that, a good referee would not have sent him off."
10) August 2003: Uriah Rennie's decision not to penalise Newcastle's Andy O'Brien after he brought down Ryan Giggs.
Fergie said: "!#@!" - or words to that effect to fourth official Jeff Winter, for which he was subsequently charged with misconduct
John Terry dragging down a player by his shirt should hand his head in shame
Drogba worried me by his display of falling to the floor and kicking his legs I honestly thought that he had been shot with a 12 bore shotgun!
Fletcher took the ball cleanly from Ash Cole but Cole fell writhing to the floor
With a weakened team Man U were far the better team but with Chelsea having TWELVE players it made it more difficult.
Chelsea won by cheating I am sorry to say
IGNORING EVANS'S KUG FU KICK ON DROGBA, WHICH HE SHAMEFULLY GOT AWAY WITH BY YOUR HATED REF, WHO GAVE DROGBA A YELLOW?
What about Valencia's scissor kick on Lampard?
Fletched went with both feet and studs up against Arshavin, everyone agreed it was a blatant penalty, but your manager and his bloind-dogma hurd caled it a clean tackle.
Start looking at Vidic and Ferdinand and how often they pull someone's shirt in the area, and get away with it.
It also seems Rooney (the honest English lad who never dives!!!) and co always surrond referees in gangs like vultures, but yet again, another FR clear mandated rule gets ignored by the ref.
It is simply laughable when Man U people cry foul and injustice, each time they lose.
Good grief - can't you write about any of the football that was played this weekend
this is really really really boring
The are always ready to do Fabregas Dark Side stories, or Eboue is Evil because he touched a ball with his hand (apologiees to ref and opposite player amd also got booked).
But they cowar and are dead scared when it comes to write such outraged articles about Ferguson and Rooney.
After all, it is easier to bash foreigners, and good business too.
1. Wayne Rooney wrongly given offside when 1-on-1 with keeper.
2. Terry fouling Valencia for a penalty.
3. Incorrect free kick against Fletcher in lead up to goal.
4. Drogba fouling Brown in lead up to goal.
5. Drogba offside when trying to poke the ball in when goal was scored.
6. 5 minutes displayed and played despite Chelsea taking 50 seconds to make a substitution during the 5 minutes.
Decisions against Chelsea
1. Drogba shouldn't have been booked.
Enough said.
Unfortunately, by his actions he creates the story. If only he could behave like a civilised human being it would be a far happier football world.
I'm sure the majority of fair minded football followers would far rather talk about his achievements over the years than his increasing unpleasantness but he himself is making that more difficult every time he opens his foul mouth.
What a shame the F.A. committee is just a collection of cowards without the guts to put him in order.
I am sone of the dwindling nimber of park referees who try to maintain youth football. What hope do I have when week in week out Ferguson and others question the competence of match officials.The FA launched respect has Ferguson and co never heard of it. Yet another limp and useless initiative from the FA who are not fit to regulate a village fete.
We only got action against Ferguson because a union threatend to sue him Perhaps it is time we took legal action against and his bully boy colleagues because I certainly do not believe the FA are able to offer any protection on the issue
What does Fergie have to do to get banned?
It's time they learn't to behave like adults.
I am no big fan of Benitez, but he just pointed to imaginary glasses, and was charged immediately. The only reason he got away, was that the same weekend Neil Warnock was photgraphed doing exactly the same demonstartively, but was not even charged.
Benitez pointed to this in his defence, and cornered them.
The RESOECT campaign must be one of the unfunniest jokes around!
Just in from Sky:
"It is understood, however, that his latest outburst will not be punished by the FA as he did not question Atkinson's integrity or suggest there was any bias."
If you can do better, and you really are so disgusted by the quality of our officials, who are certainly among the best in the world, why don't you? I hear their crying out for applicants...I wonder why no one wants to do it?
ManU, in the absence of key players, showed themselves to be the better team, only Arsenal will stand in the way on these performances.
The FA is in the middle of a campaign to canonise all referees, and that is stupid. They make mistakes like everyone else, but now, suddenly, they don't have to answer for them??? When did the refs start walking on water?
John