Fergie: I'm not feeling guilty
Posted Thursday, April 07, 2011 by The Sun
ALEX FERGUSON insisted he felt no guilt over escaping from Stamford Bridge with a win after Chelsea were denied a certain penalty.
The Manchester United boss said it was about time his luck changed at Chelsea, having not won there since 2002.
United took the honours in last night's Champions League quarter-final first leg courtesy of a Wayne Rooney goal.
But it was referee Alberto Mallenco's refusal to give an injury-time penalty for Patrice Evra's challenge on Ramires that was the main talking point.
Ferguson claimed: "It looked to me as if the boy made the most of it.
"If we got a break, then it is the first one we have had in seven years, so I don't feel guilty at all.
"From where I was it looked 50-50."
United have been fuming in recent years about decisions going against them at Stamford Bridge.
Old Trafford centre-back Rio Ferdinand said: "Maybe it was a penalty maybe it wasn't.
"If they think it was a penalty maybe it should have been.
"But they have ridden their luck over the years and it was about time we had a bit of luck here."
Rooney was the man of the match and this morning will find out if he has been successful in his appeal against a two-game ban for abusive language.
If not, United will be missing a player back on form.
Ferdinand said: "Wayne Rooney is a top-quality player.
"He showed touches of brilliance and great awareness and a great finish.
"He was buzzing everywhere, all over the pitch and it was good to see.
"He has been showing over the last few weeks his ability to do wonderful stuff.
"He was consistent throughout the game.
"When you have got that he is some player to play against."
Ferguson added to the praise of Rooney. He said: "Wayne Rooney was in tremendous form and has given us a great opportunity to get to the semi-final.
"His workrate and desire was marvellous.
"He got a lot of abuse and a lot of late tackles but he got on with it and played well.
"It is just halfway but we have got the advantage.
"The biggest advantage we will have now is Old Trafford and our support on Tuesday.
"It will be absolutely fantastic, an electric atmosphere and I'm looking forward to that. I thought our players were great here.
"The team deserves great credit. Keeping a clean sheet was important."
United defended well and when they were breached Edwin van der Sar made a superb save from a Fernando Torres header.
Torres, a £50million signing, has not scored now in 10 hours for Chelsea and was booked for diving in the area moments after the Ramires incident.
Ancelotti stood by his decision to keep Torres on the pitch for the whole game, choosing to substitute hard-working Didier Drogba rather than his out-of-sorts Spaniard for Nicolas Anelka late on.
The Blues' Italian manager said: "We have to have confidence in him, he has to have confidence and he will score."
The Chelsea chief still has faith his team can overturn the first-leg deficit, having won at United last term in the Premier League.
He said: "Last season, we needed to go to Old Trafford in the league and win - so we definitely know we can do it.
"We will have to play attacking football to win this game.
"Our performance was good but not 100 per cent.
"We worked hard and had chances. We did not deserve to lose.
"Now we have to change the result at Old Trafford."
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