Ferguson wary of City motives

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is trying to work out whether Manchester City are actively trying to lure him into a war of words.

Last week, Ferguson responded to a jibe from City's football development executive Patrick Vieira about Paul Scholes' retirement U-turn being an act of desperation by calling Roberto Mancini's decision to select Carlos Tevez exactly the same thing.

Yet Vieira has since argued the Red Devils are one of the 'big clubs' who benefit from refereeing decisions, leaving Ferguson to admit: "I'm trying to analyse that. I am not sure. I mean, he's more or less saying all the referees have been wrong this season and, being an official, you are not supposed to discuss referees."

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