Manchester United Football Club News

• Nickname:Red Devils
• Founded:1878
• Manager:Sir Alex Ferguson

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Fletcher pleads his innocence

12 Jan 2010 - 10:59:50

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Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has pleaded his innocence after claiming he is not a dirty player.

Fletcher was sent off towards the end of United's 1-1 Premier League draw with Birmingham City on Saturday evening and will serve a one-match ban.

The Scotland international saw red for a second bookable offence when referee Mark Clattenburg showed him a second yellow card for tripping Blues' goalscorer Cameron Jerome.

Earlier in the season, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger launched a thinly-veiled attack on Fletcher's style of play following his side's 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford.

Wenger mentioned no names but his comments continue to irk Fletcher.

"Saturday was disappointing because I was constantly being fouled, and when I said something, the ref said to me it is a man's game," he told the Manchester Evening News.

"So I went in hard and he books me! Then he booked me again for nothing really.

"I'm not a dirty player by any stretch of the imagination. I go in for the ball and sometimes I might mis-time it and make a foul. I don't know whether all this goes back to the Wenger comments.

"He said what he said and all I can hope for is that referees are going to be fair and they usually are to be honest."