THE PREMIER League has expressed its concern to Manchester United about Alex Ferguson's recent outspoken criticisms and especially the confrontational language used by the man named yesterday as Carling Manager of the Year.

The League has asked the champions to rein in their manager, though that still may not prevent the matter being raised at the next meeting of Premiership chairmen. Two of Ferguson's targets, Arsenal and Liverpool, have already made their displeasure known to the League about the manager's comments. The League itself is also unhappy at the criticism aimed at it by Ferguson.

He first came into conflict over the Arsenal manger Arsene Wenger's objection to an extension to the season. Ferguson said: "Arsene Wenger has been in Japan. He doesn't know anything about English football and the demands of our game. He's at a big club, well Arsenal used to be a big club, and maybe next year be could be in the same situation. He should keep his mouth shut firmly shut."

On Wednesday, Ferguson criticised Liverpool's objection to his extension plan to ease the fixture pile up. "If Liverpool or any other club had asked for support over such a backlog I am sure they would have got it," he said, "but there seems to be a certain amount of jealousy towards us. Why should we help Manchester United? was the message I received. Everybody cares more about themselves than the success of the English game."

And on Sunday Ferguson criticised the decision to delay the start of Coventry's relegation decider at Tottenham because of crowd trouble. "That was an absolute disgrace," he said. "The Premier League? More like a tiddly winks league.