Fergie pleads for club unity after Rio booing
The England centre-back has infuriated supporters by stalling over the offer of a new deal, reportedly worth €143,000 a week, a situation which Ferguson himself has expressed his displeasure about in the past.
Now though the Scot has called for unity and urged fans to stop their anti-Ferdinand campaign immediately after he was booed during the recent games at Clyde and Peterborough.
"I'm not entirely happy with the reaction of the fans," the Scot said.
"I think we can make our position clear to Rio we want him to sign and he has been deliberating on that but he's still a Manchester United player, and whilst he is a Manchester United player I think we should support him."
After a difficult close season dominated by Malcolm Glazer's highly-controversial takeover of the club, Ferguson wants everyone connected to the club to be united.
"Players who go on the football field and hear their own fans booing their own players is not the kind of encouragement they should be given," he said.
"The new players who have come to the club, Park Ji-Sung and everyone, have said the same 'I didn't expect this'.
"Manchester United as a club need to be united. A lot of things have happened during the summer, but we're going into a season which is a crucial season for us. We didn't win anything last season, we haven't won the Premier League for two years and we really need to get a run together, including the fans.
"Our fans have been the bedrock of this club without question since I've come to the club, and we need their support unilaterally behind everyone."
Chief executive David Gill, who has dealt with Ferdinand's agent Pini Zahavi in the contract talks, is optimistic that everyone at United will ultimately emerge happy from the negotiations.
He told the club's official website www.manutd.com: "Rio has said he wants to stay. Alex obviously wants him to stay, the owners want him to stay and so do the board.
Meanwhile Wayne Rooney has denied a rift with Ferguson after travelling separately from his team-mates following the friendly against Clyde at the weekend.
Rooney had arranged alternative transport prior to the friendly win against the Scottish Division One side at Broadwood Stadium, according to the player's representatives.
"Contrary to reports, Wayne Rooney did seek and obtain the permission of Manchester United's team manager to return from a pre-season friendly at Clyde separately from his team-mates and in his own transport," said a spokesman for the player.
"Any suggestion to the contrary is wrong and damaging to the player's professional reputation."
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