Fergie hits out at ‘difficult’ agents

ALEX FERGUSON launched a thinly veiled attack on the role of football agents after finally ending his long wait for a Premier League away win this season yesterday.

Ferguson achieved another masterstroke by convincing Wayne Rooney to sign a five-year deal at Old Trafford, just days after admitting the England striker had revealed he wanted to leave because the club did not match his ambitions.

But Rooney and his agent Paul Stretford received criticism for their tactics in speeding up negotiations over a new improved contract.

And Ferguson, whose own son Jason is a former agent, chose the victory at Stoke City as a platform to hit out at the much maligned operators in that murky profession.

He said: “It is always tough at United. There are always issues to deal with.

“When your top players come towards the end of their contracts you have to do something to get them a new one. They are all the same.

“You have to deal with agents of this world today which is difficult. The players are no problem. There is no problem with players. Some agents are difficult.”

Ferguson moved to within five points of Chelsea after two predatory finishes from Javier Hernandez.

The Mexico international struck in the 27th minute with an impudent header, before Tuncay levelled nine minutes from time.

But Hernandez pounced in the 86th minute to finally – as Ferguson put it – “get the show on the road”.

With a Carling Cup tie against Wolves on Tuesday night, and a Premier League encounter with Tottenham at the weekend, Ferguson believes this victory at the Britannia Stadium could prove pivotal.

He said: “When their goal went in you start to say to yourself it is going to be one of those seasons.

“When you lose a goal with 10 minutes left you are concerned. You are thinking to yourself ‘not again!’

“But hopefully we can now kick on. We have some important games between now and Christmas time and we have to make our mark in the league now.

“We are just thankful Chico got on the end of the ball across the box. He has good instinct. The supporter’s reaction was fantastic to the goal and our player’s reaction was fantastic. It is the kind of goal United score. A late goal met by incredible enthusiasm by the fans. They knew it was an important one.”

Stoke manager Tony Pulis was left to rue another case of poor treatment at the hands of officials.

Andre Marriner neglected to dismiss Gary Neville for two rash challenges on Matthew Etherington and Pulis insisted the former England international should have been sent off.

He said: “Let me ask you this – if it was a Stoke City player playing at Old Trafford and he’d committed two fouls like that, what do you think would have happened?

“We just have to take it on the chin. We’ve played nine games this season and four decisions have affected those games.

“Referees are going to make good and bad decisions but when they’re making ones that affect a game of football, then it’s disappointing. We’re very disappointed but if the shoe was on the other foot I think it would have been different.”