FA will probe referee attack

CARLOS QUEIROZ is set to join Alex Ferguson in the FA dock after labelling referee Martin Atkinson “a robber.”

The Manchester United manager is already under investigation by the FA after describing Atkinson’s performance in Saturday’s FA Cup defeat against Portsmouth as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘ridiculous.’ But Queiroz, his assistant, could also be disciplined for stepping up the attack yesterday.

“The referee is a disgrace and he didn’t do his job,” he said. “We did our job, Portsmouth did their job, but the referee didn’t do his.

“Sadly, we still have referees who don’t understand what is the right thing in the game and who they should be protecting.

“It is really a pity and I feel sorry that the game has moved to a situation where the referees deserve red cards.

“This referee deserves somebody to come to the side of the pitch after five minutes, give him a red card and pull him out of the game. That is my opinion of this robber.”

Ferguson has already been censured by the FA this season, receiving a two-match touchline ban for comments made to referee Mark Clattenburg during a defeat at Bolton last November.

He could now be fined by the FA if an investigation concludes that his critical comments about the referee’s chief Keith Hackett, are deemed to have crossed the line.

Ferguson said: “Keith Hackett has got a lot to answer for because he is not doing his job properly. He has to be assessed.”