SOCCER NEWS:REFEREES yesterday responded forcefully to Alex Ferguson's criticisms of their abilities by claiming the Manchester United manager's knowledge of football's rules is alarmingly hazy and that his twin attacks on Alan Wiley and Andre Marriner should prompt a stadium ban.
“It’s so frustrating when a manager as experienced and respected as Sir Alex Ferguson makes a statement about the laws of the game which is completely inaccurate,” said Jeff Winter, a former English Premier League referee.
Winter was highlighting Ferguson’s insistence that Jamie Carragher should have been shown a red rather than yellow card for hauling down Michael Owen on the edge of the area during United’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday.
Another senior refereeing source, still officiating at Premier League matches, agreed with Winter. “Ferguson clearly doesn’t understand the law about the denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity,” he said. “The fouled player has to have full control of the ball and has to be moving towards the goal, but Michael Owen did not fulfil either condition.
“(Sunday’s match official) Andre Marriner was absolutely right to award a yellow card and a direct free-kick,” he added. “It would have been totally wrong for him to have sent Jamie Carragher off.
“And Sir Alex should never have said that Andre Marriner was not an experienced referee when he is on the Fifa list and got all the important decisions right on Sunday.”
Ferguson’s latest comments, although circumspect in comparison with his criticism of Wiley, were being analysed by the English Football Association’s compliance department yesterday.
It is understood, however, the FA is unlikely to bring any charges against the United manager for questioning Marriner’s experience to officiate a game of Sunday’s magnitude or criticising the referee’s refusal to dismiss Carragher or award a penalty against the Liverpool defender for a challenge on Michael Carrick.
As a veteran of several run-ins with Ferguson, Winter wonders if United’s manager was merely deflecting attention from a defeat.
“I don’t know if Sir Alex Ferguson has got a problem with referees, but he has got a problem when Manchester United don’t win and blaming the referee is the easy option,” he said. “His statement about Carragher shows either he doesn’t know the laws of the game or he’s resorting to mind games again.”
Winter disagrees with suggestions Ferguson is mellowing with age. “There are signs his temper is getting worse,” he said. “Some of his touchline antics, when you see the veins standing out on his neck and see him swearing and shouting, are not too good for his own health let alone anyone else’s.
“I don’t know whether it’s age or what, but he seems to be getting less tolerant of everybody and everything – especially when Manchester United don’t manage to win. This sort of thing seems to be happening every other week with him now.”
Like others in the refereeing fraternity, Winter is hoping that the FA will punish Ferguson severely for not just Sunday’s comments, but his suggestions that Wiley’s fitness was suspect following United’s recent 2-2 draw against Sunderland.
“If I were the FA I would personally impose a Fifa-style stadium ban on Sir Alex,” said Winter. “I think it’s got to be harsh punishment to teach him and everyone else a lesson. The FA have to take serious action against him. Anything less and the Respect campaign is dead in the water. They’ve got to show Sir Alex and everyone else that behaviour like this will not be tolerated. A fine or, in this case, even a touchline ban won’t be enough.”
A stadium ban would leave Ferguson watching from the stands and barred from any contact with his players before or during a match once they have entered the stadium.
Winter felt Marriner had a “very good” game, but acknowledged it was the referee’s first Premier League game involving two top-four teams. “There’s a first time for everything, though,” said Winter.
“Andre did well because players from both sides had clearly been told to pressure him and I noticed his every decision was contested by at least three players.”
He also feels the FA should speed up their disciplinary procedures. “All this suggests that Sir Alex isn’t really concerned about the authorities,” he said.
“It’s three-and-a-half weeks since his comments about Alan Wiley and still nothing has happened.”
Meanwhile, Ferguson will again ring the changes for tonight’s League Cup tie. Promising striker Danny Welbeck could be given a run-out after getting the goal that brought down Wolves in the last round. Midfielder Darren Fletcher might also feature if he recovers from a groin injury that ruled him out of the defeat at Liverpool.
Senior professionals such as Michael Owen, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Wes Brown are all set to be involved against the Championship side, managed by former Old Trafford striker Mark Robins.
