Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson attacks referee Martin Atkinson in wake of Chelsea defeat
Sir Alex Ferguson launched a furious attack on referee Martin Atkinson for his failure to send off David Luiz and his award of what he called a “very soft” penalty.
Anger: Wayne Rooney argues with Martin Atkinson after the final whistle Photo: PA
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By Jeremy Wilson 7:00AM GMT 02 Mar 2011
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The Manchester United manager claimed that it was the third consecutive time that refereeing decisions had cost his team against Chelsea and, in remarks that will be closely scrutinised by the Football Association, he criticised Atkinson’s selection for the game.
“You hope you get a really strong referee in games like this,” he said. “It was a major game for both clubs and you want a fair referee. You want a strong referee anyway and we didn’t get that.
“I don’t know why he’s got the game. I must say that when I saw who was refereeing it, I feared the worst.”
Ferguson was previously charged with improper conduct for criticising Atkinson and Keith Hackett, the Premier League head of referees at the time, after United lost 1-0 to Portsmouth in an FA Cup quarter-final in 2008.
He was also unhappy when Atkinson awarded a free-kick against Darren Fletcher at Stamford Bridge last season that led to Chelsea’s winner and ultimately cost his team the Premier League title. Atkinson has now refereed 12 games at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea winning 11 times and drawing once.
Ferguson’s grievance centred on Luiz. After scoring a spectacular equaliser, Chelsea’s new £25 million centre-back escaped a booking for a late challenge on Javier Hernandez. He was then cautioned for a tackle on Wayne Rooney and, shortly before Chelsea’s winner, avoided a second yellow card for blocking the England striker.
“It’s hard to take - we didn’t deserve that,” said Ferguson. “That’s three years in a row where the referee’s decisions have changed the game.
“He [Luiz] has done Rooney, clear as day, and he [Atkinson] is six yards from him. Straight in front of him, no obstruction whatsoever.
Doesn’t do anything. It was incredible. Even before that, he [Luiz] had done Chicarito off the ball. He’d done him late. Nothing’s done and the referee’s in front of it. I don’t know how he’s on the pitch.That changes the game in the second half. These decisions change the game, and he’s going to be refereeing every week.”
Ferguson also criticised the decision to award Chelsea’s match-winning penalty for Chris Smalling’s tackle on Yuri Zhirkov.
“The penalty was so soft, deary, deary me,” he said. “Chris has taken the ball and the player’s left his leg in. Very, very soft. Amazing.”
Manchester United had Nemanja Vidic sent off in injury time for a second booking and he will now miss Sunday’s Premier League match against Liverpool. Ferguson confirmed that Rio Ferdinand was unlikely to be fit for that game, meaning that Wes Brown is likely to partner Smalling at centre-back.
Of Chelsea’s chances of still challenging for the Premier League, Ferguson added: “If they keep getting decisions like tonight, it could change everything.”
Ferguson’s outrage at Tuesday night's refereeing follows Mark Clattenburg’s controversial decision not to retrospectively punish Rooney after the win against Wigan on Saturday. “Mark Clattenburg is the only person who comes out of this incident with any credit at all,” said Ferguson.
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