Sir Alex Ferguson Refuses To Discuss Rafael Sending Off In Draw With Tottenham

Boss has special words for Ryan Giggs on his 600th game for club.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s refusal to discuss the dubious sending off of right-back Rafael spoke volumes of his thoughts on the subject, but he was much more vocal about Ryan Giggs as the veteran played his 600th game for Manchester United as they played out a tense 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs bossed possession and came closest to breaking the deadlock through Peter Crouch and Rafael van der Vaart in the first and second half respectively.

It was a different story for United though as they struggled much more upfront, but were imperious at the back, with a particularly imperious performance from captain Nemanja Vidic.

“It was a tough game. Tottenham are in a great bit of form but they really didn't make many chances against us, I think we can take credit for that,” Ferguson told SkySports.

“We were a bit careless with the use of the ball, but it's a decent point for us. We can't complain. Our defenders were particularly good. It was a fair result.

“It could be a real thrilling end to the season. Tottenham are not out of it. It's all about keeping your nerve and today defensively we did that.”

The biggest talking point, however, was the sending off of Rafael. The Brazilian received two yellow cards, the first a clear caution after a reckless dive on Wilson Palacios but the second was a completely different matter. With Spurs left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto scampering down the flank, Rafael cut across him from behind making minimal contact. In fairness to Assou-Ekotto, there was contact, but possibly not enough to warrant a second yellow and, thus, a red.