With the inaugural Premier League game of the 2010/2011 season just about to kick-off, media correspondents from around the country descended on the Theatre of Dreams wondering whether or not Sir Alex Ferguson would continue his media blackout towards the BBC.
Ferguson had not spoken to BBC since 2004 when a channel 3 production investigating football agents named and shamed his son Jason. Since then, the Scot has exercised the powerful position he seems to hold within England's top-flight and not give any pre or post match interviews to the media outlet.
Refusing to speak to the media infringes Premier League law and fines are in place to prevent this from happening. Manchester United pick up the fines to keep the longest surviving manager in the country happy and content in his job. However, recently, this media blackout has taken further twists with FA charges waiting, as the manager's scare tactics are always evident when his team are on the wrong end of results.
Much controversy has followed the Red Devils in recent weeks and has seen the manager on both ends of the stick with contentious decisions in games against Wigan and Chelsea, which caused outbursts against referee Martin Atkinson and another media boycott against MUTV.
For the first time in 165 games Sir Alex Ferguson started two consecutive matches with the same starting 11 (Wigan and Chelsea in the Premier League) - although he should have never been given the chance to. Wayne Rooney was caught on camera and by referee Mark Clattenburg elbowing Wigan's James McCarthy in the head in an off the ball incident that should have produced a straight red card, forcing the scouse born player to miss the next three games - Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.
However, Clattenburg decided not to give the England international his marching orders in a decision that appeared only Rooney and Manchester United could get away with.
At the time of the incident, the score was 0-0. United went on to the win the game conformably with Rooney eventually scoring. Since then, the league leaders have lost at Stamford Bridge and suddenly the boot is on the other foot. Their loss forced Sir Alex into rage, as his outburst after the game blamed his defeat solely on referee Martin Atkinson.
The Scot said, “It was a major game for both clubs and you want a fair referee. When I saw who was refereeing it, I feared the worst.It's hard to take - we didn't deserve that. 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.”
The latter of his comments is typical Ferguson, who has already forgotten about the one he got away with the game before. David Luiz should have been sent off by the letter of the law, but to juxtapose his professional foul against Rooney's cowardly and sneaky elbow to the face of McCarthy is extraordinary.
The FA backed down and failed to punish Rooney even they had every right to. Salt was furthermore rubbed in the wounds when Rooney opened the scoring in a game he should not have even been playing in.
Sportingly, James McCarthy said, “It looks a lot worse on the telly but these things happen in football. You just have to dust yourself down and get on with it.”
Can anyone see Wayne Rooney defending David Luiz? Somehow, I just don't think so. Thankfully Ferguson's biased opinion and Rooney's unsporting conduct got what they deserved against Chelsea and the referee association are now looking for a retraction and apology from the Scot who may also get sanctioned by the FA.
Acting like a sore loser, Ferguson feels he has to blame someone, and with the BBC already in the blackout, the United manager passed the blame onto his own club's television channel and cancelled the weekly media briefing.
It doesn't come as a surprise to see the Scotsman vent his anger when his team are suddenly losing their lead at the top of the league. Rafael Benitez erupted in a press conference in 2009 voicing his opinion on Ferguson and his very biased opinion on events, especially when things don't go his way, which surely seems to be the case recently.
Football is notoriously superstitious and karma has come back to bite Fergie where it hurts most. Surely a man of his experience can see how ludicrous his actions have been and the FA should hold their ground. Sir Alex Ferguson has now just ended his media boycott for this week's FA Cup fixtures.
Maybe he has seen sense or finally realised how unbalanced his actions have been over the last few weeks. Arsene Wenger is known for being hyporcritical, but even the Frenchman didn't boycott the media after a Robin Van Persie sending off at the Nou Camp that was more controversial than anything the United manager has come across recently.
Source: DSG
