'Should you behave like that? No': Arsene Wenger says Alex Ferguson deserved to punished

Ferguson approached referee as he made his way out for the second half and also rounded on the fourth official Neil Swarbrick and assistant ref

Alex Ferguson (GETTY IMAGES)

Arsene Wenger today hit out at Sir Alex Ferguson for his on-field haranguing of referee Mike Dean.

United boss Ferguson was furious after Dean overruled assistant Jake Collin and awarded Newcastle's second goal in the Red Devils' 4-3 win on Boxing Day.

Ferguson approached Dean as he made his way out for the second half and also rounded on the fourth official Neil Swarbrick and Collin, but the Football Association announced yesterday that it will not take any action against the 70-year-old.

Gunners boss Wenger, who has had his fair share of run-ins with Ferguson during his 16 years in England, thinks the Manchester United manager behaved improperly and should have been punished.

"Should you behave like that? No," said Wenger, who was sent to the stands by Dean for kicking a water bottle in 2009.

"I did not always behave like I should and you can call that a bad example, yes.

"The message it sends out when you look at the pictures is just not to behave like that.

"We go sometimes overboard on the touchline and when we do it we have to be punished, it is as simple as that.

"(If) it is me or Ferguson or anybody else in the world, the rules are the rules. It is not rules for one person and the rules for another person, it is the same for everybody."

PA