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Alex Ferguson: every club gets breaks. Alvaro Barrientos/AP/Press Association Images

Luck evens out over the course of a season, insists Fergie

Manchester City executive Patrick Vieira yesterday claimed United get a soft ride from refs at Old Trafford.

ALEX FERGUSON HAS has dismissed suggestions by Patrick Vieira that Manchester United are treated differently by referees at home.

Vieira later said his views had been misrepresented and taken out of context but Ferguson insisted regardless that refereeing decisions even themselves out over the course of a season.

The United manager also pointed out that Manchester City themselves had benefited from questionable refereeing on occasion this season.

“Every club gets breaks here and there – you get good ones and bad ones,” he told reporters. ”It evens itself out over the season, that will never change.

“We had a terrible decision earlier this season when Newcastle got a penalty and Tottenham could claim the same when Mario Balotelli wasn’t sent off and ended up scoring the winning goal.  You could go through millions of things like that.

“Maybe smaller clubs feel that (decisions go against them when they play against big clubs) but someone said some years ago that we get lots of penalties. It is only averaging out at three a year. You can’t say that is a lot when you are attacking teams all the time. Most managers believe the breaks even themselves out.”

Ferguson was also sympathetic  to referee Michael Oliver, who turned down a strong late appeal for a Fulham penalty when Danny Murphy appeared to be tripped by Michael Carrick in the United box.

“From the referee’s position, I can see why he didn’t give a penalty when Danny Murphy was brought down,” he added. ”The ball moved to the angle as Michael Carrick challenged him. From that position, it wasn’t clear.

“It was a good claim but City could have had a penalty against them at Stoke (on Saturday) for a foul by Gareth Barry.”

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    Mute John Deane
    Favourite John Deane
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    Mar 29th 2012, 6:53 PM

    Sir Alex Ferguson is a legend.

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    Mute Gerard Fitzgerald
    Favourite Gerard Fitzgerald
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    Mar 30th 2012, 5:31 PM

    fergie is a liar,nevilles foul on dorrans last season at the hawthorns was embarressing for all concerned,manure get waaayyyy more decisions in their favour than any other club in england,fergie will lie about this til the cows come home because to admit this might actually mean refs reffing games in a fair manner and that wont help you win titles in a cut throat league,like the PL,and cute hoor fergie knows it,anyway once city make the step up to being champions utd fans wont have to worry about refs playing fair anymore cos it wont matter,everydog has his day and fergies is coming to a end.ps utd should place a statue of howard webb next to the statues of best law and charlton,webb has done more for the club than any player.

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