Ferguson launches angry tirade at Pardew

Alex Ferguson has voiced his fury at Alan Pardew, calling him “the worst at haranguing referees” and dismissing Newcastle as “a wee club”.

Saturday, December 29, 2012
Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson has voiced his fury at Alan Pardew, calling him "the worst at haranguing referees” and dismissing Newcastle as "a wee club”.The FA said on Thursday that no action will be taken against the Manchester United manager following his on-field outburst at referee Mike Dean. The Scot was furious after Dean awarded Newcastle’s second goal in the Red Devils’ 4-3 win on Boxing Day despite assistant Jake Collin raising an offside flag.Pardew said that said Dean will have been "slightly disappointed” he did not take action against Ferguson at the time, prompting an angry response."I was demonstrative but I was not out of order,” Ferguson said. "The press have had a field day. The only person they have not spoken to is Barack Obama because he is busy,"It is unfortunate but I am the manager of the most famous club in the world. Not Newcastle, a wee club in the north east."I was demonstrative. I am always demonstrative. Everyone knows that. I am an emotional guy. But I was not abusive. I shouted Mike over. We walked towards each other. I was only on (the pitch) three or four yards. That has been overplayed."The problem for me is that the profile of this club is huge."Alan Pardew has come out and criticised me. He is the worst at haranguing referees. He shoves them and makes a joke of it. How he can criticise me is unbelievable. He forgets the help I gave him, by the way.”Newcastle boss Pardew, who was fined £20,000 and served a two-match ban for pushing the fourth official in August, had said Dean should have sent Ferguson to the stands."I think Mike Dean might feel slightly disappointed he didn’t do something about it,” Pardew said. "I think the pressure that was on him was tough for a referee to take."Sometimes when you reflect on a game you think you might have acted differently. You do that as a manager and I think he might have done that as a referee."But it’s an emotional game and apparently they had a cordial discussion. I’ve had a few of those myself and sometimes I’ve ended up in the stands as a result of that cordial discussion."I think there were a lot of things the FA could look at. But it seems they are looking at none.”The Scot was enraged by Dean’s decision to award Newcastle’s second goal - a Jonny Evans own goal - after consulting with the linesman who initially raised an offside flag.Dean decided that Cisse, who was in an offside position when Danny Simpson struck a long-range shot, had not interfered with play.Despite Ferguson’s furious rant, Dean declined to send him off and made no subsequent complaint.Ferguson said after the game: "The referee changed the linesman’s mind."He said it was an own goal. But if you see it again, and the referee can’t, the guy is in an offside position, then he pulls Evans’ arm. If that is not interfering what is? I think it was a bad decision.”United’s win, coupled with Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, means they are now seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.