The Manager part two

Yet again, we find ourselves talking about Sir Alex Ferguson and the five match touchline ban he has received from the FA.

Today, we found out that Ferguson is not going to appeal his FA ban for five matches, and will start it as soon as possible which in the end proves to be good news because he will be back for the Arsenal game on May 1st. The games he will have to sit out is Saturday's game against Bolton, and the following games against West Ham and Fulham in the league, as well as the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

He spoke to a press conference and said "It is disappointing. It(FA) is the only industry where you can't tell the truth."

In the end, he is right. He should not have gotten such a long stint of ban, and the only reason he wound up with this ban is for the very fact that they are looking for someone to make an example out of, but what a bad person to choose to do that for. Sir Alex is going to continue doing what he does best, speaking his mind and running his team as great as he has been for so many years.

Graham Bean, part of Sir Alex Ferguson's defence team, has made the astonishing accusation in an interview on Thursday.

Ferguson has opted not to appeal and has notified the FA of his decision with his five game ban taking immediate effect. But, while the Manchester United manager is keeping his own counsel on his true feelings, Bean slammed the decision.

"What everyone has missed because they have focused on this big ban on Sir Alex, is that Martin Atkinson made one of the biggest blunders of the season in not dealing with David Luiz and he has got off with it, nothing has happened to him,'' he told ESPNsoccernet.

"That cannot be right that the ref is protected in that way, and then the FA hammer Sir Alex. I have seen confidential reports where Atkinson is criticised by the assessors at the game in the way he dealt with David Luiz, and that he didn't deal with the incident the way he should have done.

"The FA has become like a Communist State in the way that you cannot speak out against authority. It is becoming clear that if you are in football you give up your right to freedom of expression.''

In other news, Wayne Rooney has rubbished reports suggesting he has fallen out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson and claims he is very happy stay at Old Trafford. He stated in a statement that he plans on staying for a while.

Here is the statement from ESPN,

Rooney said: "I saw that, but I've never seen such rubbish in my life. My relationship with Sir Alex has no problems whatsoever.

"I'm enjoying my football here and if I was going to leave in the summer, I wouldn't have signed a new contract when I did. I've signed it and I intend to see it through to the end.

"Unless I'm ever not wanted, then I'll be staying here, that's for sure. I'll be here until I'm in my 30s.

"I admit I made a mistake - like I've said a lot of times - by saying I wanted to leave. But I've committed my future to United. I'm happy, my family are happy, so there is no reason for me to move elsewhere.

"I want to try and win more trophies and bring more success to this club."

Rooney, who has struggled to find his form for almost a year, has been back to near his best in United's last two matches, against Arsenal and Marseille, and has revealed he is only just pain-free again following the ankle injury that has blighted his last 12 months.

"I feel sharp and fit again," said Rooney. "When I first got back playing for about two months I was still very aware of my ankle. It still felt weak so it had been on my mind.

"But now I am going in for tackles and am twisting and turning. It is fully mended and 100% now. I am happy that is off my mind now."

Tell me what you think about all of this, between Fergie and Graham Bean's white knight attack, and about Rooney making sure that everyone knows he is going to stay till he is at least 30.