SIR ALEX FERGUSON

[mrpotatohead]

I personally am disgusted by his comments regarding Alan Wiley, what is the general feeling on here

[George Dawes]

he did look unfit, and AF did apologize, although he does go overboard at times with refs

[campdave]

I could understand his comments if Wiley's alledged lack of fitness had cost Utd crucial decisions, but in that particular match, I can't recall this being the case.

I think he should still be punished, regardless of his apology.

[ezz]

Wiley it was proved run further that day than all but 4 players.....maybe its fergies own players he should be shouted at who got outplayed and over run by Sunderland taking a flukey own goal just to salvage a point.
Cant remember which ref it was who was interviewed on the radio but the other day he was saying Fergie rants at a ref meaning that referee won't officiate any games at Old Trafford for around two years therefore putting fergie in control of the refs at his matches.
If this came from a hating supporter I wouldn't be angry but from a referee!!!!
The man is a complete arsehole, great manager but it helps when the FA has their tongues so far up his arse he can get away with anything he likes.
Big whoop he apologised, for his comments he should be suspended for a certain amount of games. The respect the ref campaign only applies to those who are not associated with United and Chelsea apprently.

[campdave]

Cant remember which ref it was who was interviewed on the radio but the other day he was saying Fergie rants at a ref meaning that referee won't officiate any games at Old Trafford for around two years therefore putting fergie in control of the refs at his matches.

Sounds unlikely. I'd be interested in statistics to back this up.

If it was true, there'd be no one left to ref at Old Trafford.

[dave wilky]

The man is a complete Tosser.......
Rules dont apply to him or his team...
players get away with everything...main culprit being Vidic....how many times has he hauled down a player in the penalty box because he is too slow..Refs always blind to it..unbelievable...
ferdinand also too slow...at fault playing for england.....Robert Green the fall guy for his mistake.....and not for the first time either....sorry but Rio`s lost it.......
And should be benched untill he is fit enough ....or proves otherwise.
Oh and did i mention it....FERGIES A TOSSER

[ezz]

The fact he only gets token punishments such as a fine which is nothing to the man shows the FA are either sh*t scared of him or are just bias in terms of their punishment which is a joke. They make a respect the ref campaign, yet when a manager literally questions whether the referee is even fit enough to ref a match they do nothing. Wasn't only that long ago a Liverpool player was sent off in this campaign yet you see Rooney and plenty of united players swearing and screaming at the ref.....does anything happen???

[campdave]

The fact he only gets token punishments such as a fine which is nothing to the man shows the FA are either sh*t scared of him or are just bias in terms of their punishment which is a joke.

He doesn't get any harsher or less harsh fines than other managers, unless you've got evidence to prove otherwise?

Wasn't only that long ago a Liverpool player was sent off in this campaign yet you see Rooney and plenty of united players swearing and screaming at the ref.....does anything happen???

And Utd are the only other team to have players unpunished for this?

[ezz]

Ok then, seeing as I can't be bothered looking for actual evidence, would you say a small fine for abusing a referee to Ferguson (which has been given to him in other situations) is a good deterrant to a man who is loaded?

[campdave]

Ok then, seeing as I can't be bothered looking for actual evidence, would you say a small fine for abusing a referee to Ferguson (which has been given to him in other situations) is a good deterrant to a man who is loaded?

No, I don't think it is, but there's little point singling out Ferguson saying he gets special treatment when his fine is likely to be as small and inconsequential as any other Premier League manager.

Premier League players and managers do get larger fines than players/managers in lower leagues, but unfortunately not in keeping with their massively inflated wages.

[ezz]

Which is why he should be suspended, he might not get preferential treatment ( I think he does) but I also havn't heard any managers have a go at a referee like that for a long time.

[Dazzer]

If you read the actual statement from Fergie, to call it an apology is stretching it in my opinion. He apologises for 'causing embarrassment'.
Not the merest hint of a ' yes I got it wrong, Mr Wiley covered more ground than most of my players - I'm wrong and I apologise'

The man has become a joke, a caricature of himself, - his constant ranting and raving at perceived injustices to him and his team are the reason that the half of the country that does n't support Man Yooo, are growing to despise them.

[lancaster_shrimp]

why should a manager of a team get suspention for shouting at a ref????
personally i missed the game, but all this talk of throwing out a manager for defending his team, which he found out was a mistake to do so, is bizarre!
Although sadly its like this everywhere in football now....
even players need to let out a tear if an away crowd seem to shout nasty words at them, and people get banned for saying swear words a little bit pathetic in my view

[ezz]

Well whats the point in having the respect the ref campaign if players like mascherano get sent off (suspension) but managers like fergie dont??

[ezz]

And he wasn't defending his team!! He was blaming the ref for his players playing crap to save embarrassment, not fair on the ref who had a good game.

[campdave]

Which is why he should be suspended, he might not get preferential treatment ( I think he does) but I also havn't heard any managers have a go at a referee like that for a long time.

Whilst I found Ferguson's comments embarrassing, I thought they were just as bad as "Rafa's rant", where Benitez basically said that Ferguson and the referees were in cahoots.

Perhaps he thinks they are. Perhaps the fans think they are - but without evidence, that's a pretty serious allegation on both Fergie and the FA.

If the FA decide to punish Ferguson, I think a touchline ban for a couple of matches is appropriate.

[lancaster_shrimp]

i believe if you think about it he was defending his team because his 'world beaters' lost vital points, and for every manager moral in the team is a big issue and if furguson goes on tv and slates his team then it will surly lower that moral!
he made an exuse for loing points and that was down to what most people do in that very same situation (including various numbers of people in crowds like Crusty park) blame the ref!!!

[campdave]

i believe if you think about it he was defending his team because his 'world beaters' lost vital points, and for every manager moral in the team is a big issue and if furguson goes on tv and slates his team then it will surly lower that moral!
he made an exuse for loing points and that was down to what most people do in that very same situation (including various numbers of people in crowds like Crusty park) blame the ref!!!

Perhaps, but there's a difference between saying the referee was rubbish and calling their professionalism into question in such a public fashion.

[Little Shrimp]

I'm more worried about the quality of the ref.

[ezz]

The quality of refereeing in this country is better than anywhere else in the world.

[lancaster_shrimp]

yep i believe that to be true!

[RedRedWine1]

I think everybody is missing the point with Fergie's rant. IMO it has little to do with referring in this country, or of Alan Wiley. It is merely an attempt to deflect attention away from how poorly Manchester United played against Sunderland by making a ridiculous statement that draws the focus of everybody's attention towards himself, and away from the individuals in his side that are not playing very well. Both Fergie and Wenger have done this for years.

Fergie is a gob-shite, an endemic trait of having involvement or association of any kind with that bunch of glory hunting blancmanges.

[wijit]

There are 11 players on the pitch and one referee. So he's bound to cover more ground than most individual player! They have specific jobs to do which mean they won't cover the same ground as a ref. If anything, the ref should be fitter than the players because of his role in a game. Most referee's adopt the "corner to corner" method, if you don't know, this means generally going from one corner to the adjacent one so they are on the side of the pitch furthest from the linesman (sorry, "assistant"), with only minor detours.
Now, for those of you banging on about him getting away with everything, would you now be complaining about the comments had Bruce made them, or O'Neill? No, would you hell. Would the ref's union be going off on it if it was anyone but fergie? No. You're whingeing ablout these comments so keep it in context, were these comments so bad that they warrant this reaction? Bollocks they were.

[footballfan]

well done redwine, he has been doing it for years now. They play badly and he makes a real belter of a comment or does something like the wiley incident and the players are forgotten and everyone has ago at him. Result players are not under ant media pressure, he gets it all and then he slips into his office, opens up another very expensive red wine, smiles and must think, suckers. Fair play to him, master of mind games and looking after his team.

[mrpotatohead]

Owen Coyle put the red wine in the fridge before burnley relieved fergie of three, so called, easy points, should he be berated for not treating, the king of football, with more repect