Boss: We Deserved Better

Sir Alex Ferguson was left reeling by United’s dramatic defeat at Chelsea, and insisted that his side deserved far more for an outstanding performance.

Frank Lampard’s penalty clinched victory for Carlo Ancelotti’s side after David Luiz had cancelled out Wayne Rooney’s first-half opener, but the United manager was left with a lasting sense of injustice.

Referee Martin Atkinson’s award of the spot-kick, following an earlier refusal to punish David Luiz’s cynical block on Wayne Rooney, provoked Sir Alex’s ire – a stance enhanced by previous controversial incidents at Stamford Bridge.

The Reds lost out to a contentious late Michael Ballack penalty in April 2008, while Atkinson also officiated last season's corresponding fixture - a match swung by a late John Terry header drenched in talking points.

“I think we defended badly on the first goal, that was a bad one to lose, but the penalty was so soft,” the Boss told Sky Sports. “Dear me. It was a great performance by us; we didn’t deserve that. That’s three years in a row that the referee’s decisions have changed the game.

“I’m pleased and proud of my players. They’ve endured a lot of decisions against them, they’ve carried themselves through it, they’ve done their best and they’ve created chances and played good football. They didn’t deserve that.”

Focusing specifically on Luiz’s unpunished foul on Rooney, Sir Alex said: “It was incredible. Even before that he’d done Chicharito off the ball. Then he does Rooney, clear as day, (the referee is) six yards from it and doesn’t do anything. That changes the game. These are decisions that change a game.”

United’s next outing already looms large on the horizon. Liverpool await at Anfield on Sunday, and Sir Alex, who now takes his side down the East Lancs Road without suspended skipper Nemanja Vidic, wants the Reds to bounce back.

“We’ve got to gather ourselves together as we always do,” he said. “When you lose a game you’ve got to recover and do better in the next game and get a result. It's always a massive game between Manchester United and Liverpool. It’ll be the same again, we just have to recover and get ourselves ready for it.”