Fergie and Queiroz face FA fines

Sir Alex Ferguson faces an FA improper conduct charge, along with his assistant Carlos Queiroz, for comments made after Manchester United's FA Cup loss to Portsmouth earlier this season.

The pair angrily criticised the performance of referee Martin Atkinson in the 1-0 quarter-final loss to Harry Redknapp's Pompey side at Old Trafford in March.

Branding the official a "disgrace", Ferguson went on to imply that he was biased in favour of his opponent in a performance that "should not be accepted in our game".

The United manager also insisted that referees' chief Keith Hackett was "not doing his job properly" and picked his "favourites" for the key games.

Particularly incensed by Atkinson's failure to award a penalty for a body-check on Christiano Ronaldo by Sylvain Distin, Sir Alex said that "referees should be assessed properly by the right people".

Queiroz went further by suggesting the introduction of a disciplinary system for referees, branding the match official a "robber".

"The referee deserves somebody to come to the side of the pitch after five minutes, give him a red card and pull him out of the game," he said.

The United assistant also echoed his manager, by saying: "What we cannot accept are referees who watch only one side."

The game was won 12 minutes from time when Sully Muntari scored from the spot, after substitute keeper Tomasz Kuszczak was set off for a foul on Milan Baros.

Rio Ferdinand deputised in goal, but could do nothing to save the penalty.

FA officials believe Ferguson and Queiroz went too far by implying that Atkinson was partial towards Portsmouth and have given the duo until 17th April to respond to the charge of improper conduct.

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