Fergie fumes at 'short memories' of critics

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has accused Kenny Dalglish and Graham Taylor of having short memories as he vowed to launch a vigorous defence to a Football Association improper conduct charge later this month.

Ferguson is facing an extended touchline ban following comments about referee Martin Atkinson in the wake of his side’s controversial Barclays Premier League defeat at Chelsea last week.

In criticising Atkinson’s performance, Ferguson claimed such a high-profile match required a “fair” official and that as soon as he realised the Yorkshireman would be in charge he “feared the worst”.

Ferguson believes his words were vindicated by Atkinson’s failure to dismiss David Luiz for fouls on Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney after the Brazilian had already been booked, plus the subsequent penalty decision against Chris Smalling which allowed Frank Lampard to drive home the winner.

However, his comments have been called into question by both Dalglish, whose Liverpool side added to what Ferguson admitted was a “nightmare week” at Anfield last Sunday, and former England boss Taylor.

“I was disappointed with Graham Taylor, who wrote that I had to take ’the rough with the smooth’,” Ferguson told the official match programme United Review ahead of this afternoon’s FA Cup quarter-final with Arsenal.

“I think back to when he was England manager and was complaining to a linesman: ’The referee has got me the sack.’

“People have short memories.

“Kenny Dalglish looked to be lecturing me in the papers about the need to respect referees, perhaps forgetting that not so long ago his players were tweeting critically all over the place about Howard Webb.”

Ferguson was referring to the mock-up picture of World Cup final referee Webb in a Manchester United shirt that was posted by Ryan Babel in the aftermath of Liverpool’s FA Cup third-round defeat at Old Trafford in January, which earned the Dutchman a £10,000 fine.

Taylor’s comments meanwhile came during a qualifier for the 1994 World Cup when England lost to Holland in controversial circumstances and ended up being eliminated.

In this instance, although no date for the hearing – which must be held by March 25 – has been made public, the United manager feels he has a cast-iron case.

“I felt aggrieved and I now face an FA charge for what, to my mind, was simply telling the truth.

“I will be defending myself strongly when my FA appeal hearing comes up.

“In fact, I am looking forward to the challenge because, to my mind, I have not said anything out of place, however much the media urge the FA to take action.

“The papers keep on and on about it because Manchester United are involved, and they failed to get the FA Compliance Unit to pick up on the Wayne Rooney incident in the Wigan game.

“I won’t be on the back foot when I put my case to the FA, though.

“I don’t think sticking up for my team makes me a villain, especially when you consider that Manchester United have one of the best disciplinary records in the country.”

There is certainly a belief inside Old Trafford that the FA have only acted against Ferguson because they were unable to apply the correct sanction against Rooney for his attack on Wigan’s James McCarthy.

Ferguson made reference to the matter in his press conference yesterday, which ended a media blackout that he insists had nothing to do with the reporting of his latest indiscretion but purely because United were on the receiving end of punishment it was impossible to prevent.

“It has been a tumultuous week,” said Ferguson. “But we will get over it.

“Don’t read too much into the fact that I withdrew my briefings for the media; that was simply because I felt that the spotlight was burning on us so brightly that the best policy at that point was least said, soonest mended.

“At that particular time I didn’t think we would win the media battles, so I retreated.”

Ferguson’s decision did mean there was no official comment on the tackle by Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher that is set to rule United winger Nani out until after the international break and which most observers felt warranted a red card rather than the yellow Phil Dowd produced.

“I certainly reckon Jamie Carragher deserved to be sent off,” said Ferguson, who yesterday branded the challenge “disgraceful”.