Fergie labels Chelsea Penalty ridiculous, disgraceful and diabolical
Michael Ballack’s cool head caused Sir Alex Ferguson to lose his as Chelsea blew the English Premier League title race wide open.
On a day of high drama at both ends of the table, a 2-1 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge ensured Chelsea moved level on points with their rivals with two games left for both clubs.
United’s vastly superior goal difference means they remain masters of their own destiny but Ballack’s second goal of the afternoon, a nerveless spot-kick four minutes from time, ensured the champions’ own nerve will be tested over the last two weeks of the campaign.
The Germany captain, who had given Chelsea the lead with a first-half header before Wayne Rooney equalised, claimed afterwards that the thought of missing the penalty had never entered his head.
“In the end you have to score,” Ballack said. “For me it is no problem, I can handle the pressure.”
United will still be champions if they beat West Ham at home next Saturday and win at Wigan on May 11. But Chelsea, who face Newcastle away on May 5 and entertain Bolton on the final day of the season, have put themselves in a position to exploit any slip-ups.
“We did what we needed to do,” declared their manager, Avram Grant. “This team has a lot of courage and character.” Asked if he thought United would crack in their remaining matches, Grant replied: “I need to believe it. It is not easy when you are under pressure to win two games.”
Ferguson variously described the 87th minute penalty converted by Ballack after a Michael Essien cross struck the arm of Michael Carrick as “ridiculous,” “disgraceful” and “diabolical.” Ferguson insisted that Carrick should not have been penalised because the contact with the ball was not deliberate and Rio Ferdinand was waiting to clear the ball behind the midfielder.
“It was absolutely diabolical,” the United boss told United’s in-house television station MUTV. “It is a major decision. Granted, it hit his hand. But he has not lifted his hand above his shoulders, above his head, anything like that. “It is going straight to Rio Ferdinand. The referee should have seen that rather than the linesman. “If we’re not going to get those decisions then we are under pressure.”
The penalty was not the only issue Ferguson had with referee Alan Wiley and his assistants. “If we’re not getting the decisions we deserve then we’re going to have to perform really well. In the context of today, when (Cristiano) Ronaldo comes on, in the first minute he’s grappled to the floor by Ballack. “It was a clear penalty kick but no penalty was given.” Ferguson was also upset by a challenge by Didier Drogba on Nemanja Vidic, which saw the defender come off after 14 minutes. The Serbian needed stitches and lost a tooth. “He got kneed in the face by Drogba – no foul given, ” said the Old Trafford boss. “He was dazed rather than concussed.”
Ferguson remains confident that his side can secure the tenth title of his reign at Old Trafford. “It’s still in our hands,” he said. “The players and the support are really fired up for the next game. Hopefully we can get the result we want.”
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Add comment April 26th, 2008