Source: Team_Talk
United not at their best - Fergie
After Roque Santa Cruz punctured United's record-breaking defence to cancel out Wayne Rooney's opener in the first half, Sam Allardyce's team threatened to take the lead when Ryan Nelsen smacked a shot against the post.[LNB]Moments later, a brilliant free-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo settled matters, but it was less than convincing performance from the champions.[LNB]Asked if his side deserved the win, Ferguson said: "Probably. Just, but no more than that."[LNB]He added on Setanta Sports: "When we're in a controlling position, we gave away a really bad goal and when you consider how we've defended over the past few weeks that's not indicative of our performances.[LNB]"They became very determined in the second half and put on a real show and made it a fight for us.[LNB]"Sometimes when you don't play your very best you can get a result like that and it goes some way to winning the title, hopefully."[LNB]With both Edwin van der Sar and Nemanja Vidic missing, United struggled to deal with Blackburn's direct style.[LNB]"The way Blackburn plays, the ball's floated up front into Santa Cruz and then they all pile into the penalty box, it's very difficult to play against."[LNB]Referee Howard Webb was at the centre of a few contentious decisions, ruling out a United goal and turning down penalty shouts from both sides.[LNB]Ferguson insisted the decision to rule out Jonny Evans' header was wrong, but admitted it came from a corner that should not have been awarded in the first place.[LNB]"There is no question (it was a goal)," he said. "I think sometimes the refs give a free-kick when they have doubts about a corner. It was either a free-kick (to us) or a goal kick in the build-up, and maybe that's why he had a doubt about it. But it was a clear goal."[LNB]Ronaldo picked up a yellow card for diving - a decision Ferguson had no complaints about - but he insisted Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen should also have been booked when he tumbled in the area under a challenge from Rafael da Silva.[LNB]"The ref booked Ronaldo for diving, rightly, it was a dive," he said. "But what did Pedersen do? That was absolutely a dive, it was nowhere near a penalty kick. As soon as he feels the hand on his shoulder he goes over and he's not got a yellow card.[LNB]"I don't understand when he's not got one and Ronaldo does."[LNB]Ronaldo might have seen red had Webb chosen to punish a petulant kick on David Dunn, but Ferguson claimed the incident - coming before his yellow card - was being overblown.[LNB]"The ref spoke to him when he flicked out," he said. "Ronaldo says the boy kicked him. The ref gave him a warning. Because it's Ronaldo you're making a meal of it. It's one of those things. He has to live with that kind of examination."[LNB]Allardyce was proud of his players after a battling performance, but was still upset at not getting the rub of the green.[LNB]"I think over the 90 minutes, we had an opportunity to get something," he said. "I don't think we can say anything more than that, but when you're here at Old Trafford you must punish the opposition when you get the opportunity."[LNB]He pointed to Nelsen's miss as the turning point in the game.[LNB]"In the second half, the first chance looks like it's in but it comes off the post and that's probably the key moment as to whether we're going to get anything from the game," he said.[LNB]Allardyce was also upset at not getting a penalty when Pedersen went down.[LNB]"Sir Alex doesn't think it's a penalty, but I think it is," he said. "It has to be pretty blatant to get them here at Old Trafford."[LNB]But while Allardyce was satisfied with the performance, he knows that will not be enough to get Blackburn out of the relegation zone.[LNB]"Recent performances haven't given us as many points as we should have had and that's why we're in the bottom three," he said.[LNB][LNB]
