Ferguson likely to get off Scot free

Alex Ferguson is likely to escape censure from the English Football Association in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo's red card in the 1-1 draw at Portsmouth, despite the Manchester United manager saying referee Steve Bennett "loved the opportunity to send him off again".

Footballer of the Year Ronaldo was dismissed at Fratton Park for aiming a head-butt at Pompey substitute Richard Hughes six minutes from time after he was pushed in the chest during a goalmouth melee following a corner.

Ferguson believes Ronaldo fell for Portsmouth's "intimidation tactics" and castigated the Portuguese international, saying he had only himself to blame for incurring a three-match ban - including Sunday's Manchester derby at City.

But Ferguson told MUTV, "Steve Bennett sent him off at City (in January 2006) and will have loved the opportunity to send him off again . . . I've looked at the replay a few times now and there's nothing conclusive - you can't really see anything, but I believe he was provoked and he fell for it.

"He was surprised about the decision but really he has only himself to blame and now we're going to miss him for three games. It's a big blow."

FA Cup final referee Bennett, who was in charge of Chelsea's Wembley win over United in May, has had several run-ins with Ferguson and is likely to take the line recently put forward by the retired official Graham Poll that managers bring the game into disrepute with personal comments.

But though FA officials have studied reports and comments from the Fratton Park game a spokesman said they were "unlikely" to take the matter further - except maybe to write to Ferguson asking the Scot to explain his words.

Last season the FA hit Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with fines for post-match comments to and about officials, but do not appear to include Ferguson's remarks in the same category.

The United chief has enough problems after the team's worst start to a season since 1998.

With just two points from their opening two games they are already without England striker Wayne Rooney, who fractured a bone in his foot in the goalless draw with Reading on Sunday.

Their new €25-million midfielder Owen Hargreaves and skipper Gary Neville have yet to figure because of knee injuries and strikers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Louis Saha are also crocked.

Now Ronaldo is out for three games, including matches against Sunderland and Tottenham, following his third dismissal since joining United in July 2003.

Hughes, who admitted there was "no bruising" from the contact made in the incident is adamant he had no thoughts of trying to get Ronaldo dismissed - just a minute after Portsmouth's Sulley Muntari had been ordered off for a second yellow card.

The Scotland international said, "You could see by my reaction that it was not the case, but I felt something on the side of my head more than him just leaning in towards me.

"As usual at a corner there was some pushing and shoving but Ronaldo went into me first and then seemed to swing his leg. I thought that if he was going to try to shove me to get a run on me I would just get tighter and we went head to head as footballers often do for some reason.

"I definitely felt something more than just him leaning his head on mine, though. Whether he meant it I'm not sure but the referee was right there and saw fit to show him a red card."

Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has insisted there is no lingering animosity between him and Ferguson, as they prepare for their first meeting since their acrimonious, and as yet unresolved, falling-out over Rooney's fitness at the World Cup.

The two will come face to face for the first time as rival managers in eight years on Sunday when Manchester City, boasting two wins in two Premier League games, host their neighbours in the season's first major derby.

Their last contact came during the World Cup when Ferguson, enraged by Eriksson's decision to go against United's wishes and involve Rooney, was said to have sworn at the then England manager and slammed the phone down on him. But it is not Eriksson's way to harbour grievances and he was conciliatory as he looked ahead to the game.

"I haven't spoken to Alex since I took the job but there is no problem," he said.

"I don't have any problems with him whatsoever.

"Alex and myself may have had different opinions in the past about Manchester United and the national team, especially when it came to friendly games, but we had a lot of dinners together as well. There is nothing personal between us."