Originally Posted by right-track

Ferguson is no fool. You're right about his rant over the Willimas/RVP incident being a smoke screen. Although, I'd say he did it to deflect the attention away from RVP's reaction as opposed to Rooney's performance.
And privately, he's very probably a decent bloke.
When it comes to managing a football club, players, games, other managers and yes, referees, he'll do what it takes to achieve an advantage.
That doesn't make him a ****. In my opinion, that makes him good at his job.

He doesn't always get away with it either. He's been banned to the stands on countless occasions. In reality he's no different from any other manager worth their salt. Certainly no different than Mancini striding the full length of a football pitch to confront the ref screaming, "was goal, was goal" in his face. Or any other managers antics, most of which pass without comment. When it's Fergie...out come the ABU's.

I'll give you a prime example. Had Ferguson been in charge of a football club who were 2 -1 down and were awarded an extra 8 minutes injury time...there would have been outrage!
Add to that a red card against an opposition player whose a well known dodgy individual and there would have been shouts of "fix" and "conspiracy".
Throw in the fact that it's a title decider and they come back to win 3-2 ...and you'd never hear the last of it.