Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has made a statement relating to the comments he said about referee Alan Wiley after the 2-2 draw with Sunderland. Sir Alex said that Wiley wasn’t fit enough to referee the game and English referee’s aren’t as fit as foreign referee’s.

Sir Alex has said sorry for embarrasing Alan Wiley but not for what he has said.

The statement released on ManUtd.com said:

“I apologise to Mr Wiley for any personal embarrassment that my remarks may have caused and to The FA for going public with my views.

“In retrospect, I accept that this could be deemed as expressing those views in an inappropriate forum.

“It was never my intention to bring the focus of intense media attention on Mr Wiley. I intend to contact him personally after I return from a trip overseas during this international break.

“I would wish it to be noted that I have always respected Mr Wiley’s integrity and that I did not state or imply:

· that Mr Wiley is a bad referee;

· that he was in any way biased;

· that decision-making generally during the game was poor, or

· that he missed any key incident during the game.

“My only intention in speaking publicly, was to highlight what I believe to be a serious and important issue in the game, namely that the fitness levels of referees must match the ever increasing demands of the modern game, which I hope will now be properly addressed through the appropriate formal channels.”

Some rival fans are saying that this is too little too late. Maybe it should have been said earlier but atleast he is saying it. Sir Alex is perfectly entitled to his own opinion’s but I think the problem is that if he does have a problem with the fitness of the officials, he should take it up with the appropriate channels.

It is a difficult one, it must have been embarrassing for Wiley but after a disappointing 2-2 draw, Sir Alex has to come out and comment not long after the game. It has happened again and again, managers are still wound up and they say something they shouldn’t.

Hopefully this is the end of it now, I am sure it won’t be though. Rival supporters are gunning for Fergie right now and it wouldn’t surprise me if the FA do something about it.