CONMEN KILLING FOOTBALL
SIr Alex lashes out
Sir Alex Ferguson
ATTACK - Sir Alex Ferguson
By JEREMY BUTLER, 16/08/2009
SIR ALEX FERGUSON has launched a blistering attack on the Premier League cheats he accuses of killing the game he loves.
On the day Sport of the World announces a nationwide campaign to crack down on dissent, the Manchester United manager fired both barrels at the players who con referees by feigning injury.
As he prepared for the champions' opening game against Birmingham at Old Trafford this afternoon, Fergie stormed: "The players are killing the game. The players' unprofessionalism is killing the game - not the referees."
Ferguson is so incensed at the conmen he has ordered his players NOT to kick the ball out of play when an opposition player is down injured.
And he is calling on the FA to act quickly and crack down on the cheats.
Ferguson fumed: "It's absolutely ridiculous and something has to be done about it.
"Players are getting stick and kicking the ball out, and the fans are whistling because people stop playing. The other players are as guilty as the guy lying down.
"They have no idea what is wrong with the guy lying down. Most of the time there is nothing wrong with him at all.
"The problem is how much the referee can tolerate when the players go down.
"There is no doubt it has been exploited to ridiculous degrees now. I don't know how to stop it."
Ferguson accused Michael Ballack of play-acting in last Sunday's Community Shield defeat to Chelsea.
Fergie was furious Wembley ref Chris Foy stopped the game when the Blues' German midfielder appeared to be injured - but allowed play to continue in the build-up to Chelsea's second goal after Ballack had elbowed Patrice Evra.
"If the ref sees Ballack's challenge properly, it's a red card," insisted Fergie. "He's clearly elbowed him. But the referee made a rod for his own back. He'd stopped the game twice already: when Nani was down - he had a dislocated shoulder - and on a second occasion when Ballack was down. We've seen that before with Ballack.
"I spoke to the ref and he said it was a serious incident and he needed treatment, but the player was up straight away."
United's players sportingly booted the ball out of play to allow Ballack treatment - and that's what so incensed them in the build-up to the Frank Lampard strike that put Chelsea 2-1 ahead. The game eventually ended in a penalty shoot-out win for the Blues.
Fergie added: "Referees' chief Keith Hackett said three years ago the players were being instructed NOT to kick the ball out.
"I spoke to the players here and told them not to kick the ball out, to let the ref decide. For instance, a head injury could happen and we let the referee stop the game. That is the criteria we are working on, but the players wouldn't do it.
"If the players don't put the ball out they get stick off the opposing players and opposing fans, so they kick it out.
"It's so stupid. You could be attacking the last third and you put the ball out and it ends up back with your goalkeeper when they kick the ball back. We have just overdone it, overcooked the whole thing."
Meanwhile, Fergie has amazingly admitted he is motivated by a FEAR OF FAILURE.
Despite 11 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League titles, the Scot revealed he has never felt totally safe in his job.
He jokes about being currently "bulletproof" as a ball has yet to be kicked, but added: "I have never thought that way. I have always had that feeling of fear. That feeling of failure. Even now it is with me.
"Failure is waiting for the ones that are complacent.
"Every manager is under the same umbrella. It is a result industry. It is a must win industry."
