Sir Alex Ferguson has accused the press of delighting in Manchester United’s defeats, including the club’s elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich on Wednesday night and loss to Barcelona in last season’s final. The Scot, long suspicious of the British media corps, let fly at Carrington on Friday.
On Wednesday Ferguson accused Bayern’s “typical Germans” of bullying the referee into showing United right-back Rafael da Silva a red card. Then Ferguson, reacting to questions about his post match comments after Wednesday’s Champions League exit, accused the press of focusing on his quote over the team’s performance.
“What has been lost from the game on Wednesday is our performance. Our performance was fantastic. At 3-0, it could have been 5-0. We were magnificent and that gets lost just because you want to write a headline about what I say about the Germans. That is disgusting.
“The players deserved some praise from you lot because their performance was outstanding.”
Ferguson, who holds the media in contempt for what he feels is an anti-United agenda, accused the British press of celebrating his side’s defeat in last season’s Champions League final.
“Someone told me the other day that when the press came back from the Rome final [against Barcelona] they were all delighted,” added Ferguson
“They were on the press bus and pleased that we lost. It is disappointing when there is a British team in a European final and even one member of the British press wants us to lose.
“Someone on the bus told me he was absolutely disgusted at the behaviour of the British press at the European Cup final and he had no reason to lie to me.”
It’s a sentiment that few fans will find surprising, with the red tops frequently filling their pages with negative United copy.
And yet, still no apology from SAF regarding those racist comments…Pretty classless
Ugh ? What is racist about naming the nationality of a club side ?
Bayern are a German club.
So where should he direct his opinion of the behaviour of the Bayern players ?
At the Scots ?
The Germans are very prone to theatricals when it comes to football.
In a word – Schauspielerei.
One of its greatest exponents was a certain Herr Klinsmann – who took the Latin art of referee deception to a new level.
No, Fergie does not need to apologise.
Maybe you do, Senor Barca, for missing the point.
Maybe you see such behaviour as fair game.
Personally I regard it as a form of cheating.
If anything Ribery was the more guilty in retaliating in the manner he did.
And regards the press. Yes he has a point also. But that is normal in Britain.
Years ago I well remember when attitudes towards United were the complete opposite.
But once they put themselves on the highest of pedestals they were ripe for knocking off.
And unfortunately that is something the English can do better than anyone else.