Ferguson: Wayne was right over sending off

ALEX FERGUSON has backed Wayne Rooney in the row over his role in Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany’s controversial red card on Sunday.

City boss Roberto Mancini claimed United striker Rooney pressured referee into dismissing Kompany for a two-footed tackle on Nani during the FA Cup third round clash but Ferguson says such appeals are now part of the game and that it was a reckless challenge.

Ferguson, speaking at the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala in Zurich, said: “I have no concerns about the behaviour in that respect because to my mind it was a reckless challenge and Nani is a very lucky boy because he didn’t get a bad injury.

“I have no complaints about Wayne, I don’t think it was unacceptable what he did. I think it was a natural reaction to a bad challenge from an opponent. But I can understand where Roberto’s coming from because that’s what happens with players today, they all appeal for penalties or players to be sent off, it’s an unfortunate part of our game.”

Rooney himself said on Twitter: “Funny how people think i got kompany sent off. Im not ref. i didn’t give red card. But it was a clear red card. 2 footed tackle.”

City will learn today if their appeal against captain Vincent Kompany’s dismissal has been successful.

Kompany, 24, is due to serve a four-match ban for the offence starting with the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final against Liverpool tomorrow.

If the appeal proves unsuccessful he will also miss the return leg as well as Barclays Premier League games against Wigan and Tottenham.

Meanwhile, Ferguson said he was relishing a fight to the end of the season with City for Premier League honours.

He added: “We have a big challenge from Manchester City but that’s not a problem for Manchester United, we have faced these challenges for many years. It doesn’t matter where it comes from, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool or Tottenham, and Manchester City are a very good team.

“We know it’s going to be a big, big fight towards the end of the season.”

Ferguson had been shortlisted for the FIFA Coach of the Year award along with Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho.

Asked whether Guardiola would be the perfect replacement at Old Trafford for when Ferguson does finally retire, the United boss questioned why he would want to leave Barcelona.

Ferguson added: “Why would Pep want to leave Barcelona? If I was in his position I would firmly stay where I was.

“The Barcelona team at the moment is by far the best team. We have experienced three years of it and sometimes in football you have to hold your hand up and say ‘they are better than us’. It’s not a crime or a weakness, just a plain fact that the Barcelona team now, particularly with Lionel Messi in the side, are just an extraordinary team.

“I can’t see anyone taking a trophy from them this year, Real Madrid are probably the nearest to them.”

Ferguson said that Messi could now be judged alongside the game’s all-time greats, although he is still only 24.

“I would agree with that completely,” said Ferguson. “Critics have always questioned whether players like Pele from the 50s could play today. The answer to that is great players would play in any generation. Lionel Messi could play in the 1950s and the present day, as could [Alfredo] Di Stefano, Pele, [Diego] Maradona, [Johan] Cruyff because they are all great players. Lionel Messi without question fits into that category.”