Boss troubled by major decisions

Sir Alex Ferguson added three more refereeing decisions to a growing list of gripes in the aftermath of United's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.

The manager criticised the call to punish Michael Carrick for handball in the 85th minute, given that the midfielder couldn't move out of the way and that Michael Essien's cross was destined to be cleared.

"It’s a major decision that’s cost us the game," Sir Alex rued on MUTV.

"To give a penalty kick for that in a game of such importance, on the linesman’s say-so, is absolutely diabolical.

"Granted the ball hit his (Michael Carrick's) hand but he couldn’t get out of the road. He didn’t lift his hands above his shoulders or above his head, and the ball was going straight to Rio Ferdinand anyway. The referee should have seen that.

"It was a major decision and if the title is going to come down to decisions like that, we’re in trouble. If we’re not getting the decisions we deserve, we’re going to have to perform really well.

"In the last few weeks we’ve been knocked out of the FA Cup after not getting a penalty kick. There should have been a clear penalty kick at Middlesbrough from Mike Riley when the Boro player dived and saved the ball. And the same linesman we had today, Glenn Turner, disallowed Wayne Rooney when he was clean through and he was five yards onside. Then last week at Blackburn, Rob Styles, who’s turned down five penalty kicks for us this season, doesn’t give one out of three.

"As for today, when Ronaldo came on he was grappled almost to the floor by Ballack (at a United corner) and it was a clear penalty kick. Then Michael Carrick went down in the same way, the referee (Alan Wiley) was right there and again he didn't give it. The game hinged on major decisions and unfortunately they didn’t go our way."