Ferguson cops two-match ban ahead of Anfield visit</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> The Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been given a two-match touchline ban and a £5,000 fine by the Football Association for using "insulting words" to a referee.</p> Ferguson did not contest the misconduct charge, which was brought following his outburst againt Mark Clattenburg following the half-time whistle at United's recent Premier League defeat by Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. Clattenburg sent Ferguson to the stands for the second period following the United manager's finger-jabbing rant and with a 14-day notice period, the Scot will not be present in the United's dug-out for the trip to West Ham on December 29 and the home encounter with Birmingham on New Year's Day.</p> "At a regulatory commission hearing yesterday, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was given a two-match touchline ban, starting on Friday 28 December. He was also fined £5,000," read a FA statement. "Ferguson admitted a charge of using abusive and/or insulting words towards referee Mark Clattenburg at half-time of United's game against Bolton on Saturday November 24. As he did not request a personal hearing, the case was dealt with on the basis of written statements and video footage."</p> Meanwhile, Ferguson expects his side to withstand a hostile greeting when United take on Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, saying, "If you are a lamb, you are dead." United are anticipating a hostile reaction from the Kop when they run out to face their old rivals but, having won four of their previous five Premier League visits and drawn the other, Ferguson's side have proved adept at dealing with the occasion in recent visits.</p> John O'Shea's injury-time winner after the dismissal of Paul Scholes completed a memorable 1-0 victory last season and paved the way for United's successful title run-in. Nonetheless the United manager knows that if his are to keep that run going, there must be no shrinking violets in his team.</p> "No matter what position the two clubs are in, this game is separate from anything else," he said. "You have the geography, the history of the clubs, the ability of the players, the competition, the passion and fervour of the fans. We both look upon the other as our main rival.</p> "Liverpool's support is a big component of that club, particularly against United. You have to be a man to handle that atmosphere. If you are a lamb, you are dead."</p> Not only do United have the edge over Liverpool in terms of their recent head-to-head duels, they are also closing in on their record total of 18 championship wins. Ferguson has won nine titles, taking the Old Trafford club's tally to 16, since Liverpool's last success in 1990. The 17-year wait for a championship is just a season less than United had endured when Ferguson replaced Ron Atkinson as manager in 1986. And despite the Scot's best efforts, United's wait had stretched to 26 years before he eventually guided them to the top of the English game.</p> "When I arrived, I remember saying we cannot let it get to a quarter of a century - but it did," he recalled. "You scratch your head and go back over the years to see why the club had failed. It was difficult to assess, although I know there had been a lot of managerial changes, which Liverpool have also had in recent times. It is hard to imagine that Liverpool have gone so long since they last won it."</p> Although last weekend's shock defeat at Reading ended Liverpool's unbeaten record and saw them slip seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal and six behind United, many pundits still believe Benitez's side are more plausible contenders than any Anfield outfit since Kenny Dalglish guided them to their last success.</p> The arrival of Fernando Torres has given Liverpool an extra dimension and Ferguson for one is not surprised that a player he would have liked to sign himself has adapted so quickly to the English game.</p> "He is a good player," said the United boss. "We would not have been interested in him if he wasn't. For years we tried to do a deal with him but we never quite managed it, either because Atlético did not want to sell or the player felt he was too young. We just lost interest after a while because you can get fed up of going back to the same venue all the time. The advantage Rafael Benítez had was that he was Spanish. His dealings with Atlético were better than ours."</p> While Liverpool were scrapping for Champions League survival in Marseille in midweek, Ferguson was able to leave nine of the line-up that started against Derby County last Saturday, in Manchester after the Premier League champions had secured top spot in Group F with a game to spare. Of that side that drew with Roma in midweek, only skipper Wayne Rooney and defender Wes Brown, who was a substitute anyway, are likely to play on Sunday, the first part of an exciting double bill that concludes with Chelsea's visit to Arsenal.</p> "If it was later in the season, the results would be significant in terms of winning the league," said Ferguson. "At the moment we are at the halfway stage, so there is time for anyone who would drop points to pull them back. As a manager, I hope the other game ends in a draw but I would imagine that is the bookies' favourite result in both of them."</p> </div></p>
wish he would have been banned for the pool match this sunday...lol, but good decision, he needs to learn to shut it.</p>
no, the suspension takes effect forthewest ham and some other crap club game, no big deal really.</p>
