Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed suggestions that Manchester United are close to offering Cristiano Ronaldo a new contract by insisting that the European champions are `happy` with the remaining length of the player`s current deal.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has warned the Football Association that plans to toughen up drug-testing for Premier League stars will cost an `absolute fortune` and described envisaged new procedures as a nuisance.

Arsene Wenger insisted Arsenal`s 2-1 win over Manchester United on Saturday was the perfect response to critics who claimed his club were lurching towards a crisis.

Wenger`s side had gone three games without a win after blowing a two-goal lead against Tottenham, then being roughed up by Stoke and frustrated by Fenerbahce.

Sir Alex Ferguson said Friday he might have to resort to wearing a tin helmet at Arsenal after voicing concerns about the security provided for the Manchester United dug-out at the Emirates Stadium.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was charged Thursday with improper conduct by the Football Association.

The charge concerns an incident after English and European champions United`s hard-fought 4-3 Premier League victory against Hull at Old Trafford on Saturday, when Ferguson remonstrated with referee Mike Dean.

Sir Alex Ferguson may have felt Edwin van der Sar needed a rest this week but the Manchester United boss still believes his number one goalkeeper can continue playing into his 40s.

Van der Sar, 38, was excused Vnited`s Champions League trip to Celtic with one eye on Saturday`s clash with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Real Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze, a former Manchester United player, said Monday he was `saddened` by Sir Alex Ferguson`s claim the Spanish club signed him as part of a failed bid to lure his friend, Portuguese playmaker Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to pay a king`s ransom of 150,000 (220,000 dollars) pounds a week to keep Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford until 2014, media reports said Sunday.

Real Madrid spent much of the summer courting the Portuguese forward president, and United were furious at the Spaniards` constant efforts to prise him away.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s dispute with Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon escalated on Friday as the Manchester United manager responded to the latest insult to come from Spain.

Calderon used a Madrid-based newspaper sympathetic to his club to describe Ferguson as `senile`, after the United manager referred to Real’s historic links with former Spanish dictator Franco.

LIVERPOOL, England, Oct 25, 2008 (AFP) - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he substituted Wayne Rooney to stop the striker being sent off in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Everton.

Rooney was hauled off by Ferguson after becoming involved in a second half flash-point against his former club.

LONDON, Oct 25, 2008 (AFP) - Manchester United have denied they have opened discussions about who will succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at United, dousing media speculation Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho could eventually succeed him.

A United spokesman said: 'As we have said many times before, there has been no discussion about who will eventually succeed Sir Alex.'

MANCHESTER, England, Oct 24, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson insists he is not surprised by David Beckham's planned move to AC Milan.

The LA Galaxy star is close to striking a short-term deal to join up with the Serie A giants in January during the Major League Soccer close-season.

LONDON, Oct 25, 2008 (AFP) - Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes the hectic Christmas period could make or break his team's hopes of securing a Premier League title hat-trick.

Rangers and Scotland captain Barry Ferguson will end four months on sidelines when he plays in a reserve team game on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old midfielder will line up against St Mirren reserves at Love Street as he looks to build up his fitness following pre-season ankle surgery.

Cristiano Ronaldo is facing relegation to the substitutes` bench for Manchester United`s Champions League clash with Celtic after manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted his concerns over the Portuguese forward`s match fitness.

Sir Alex Ferguson expects Manchester United to tie up a permanent deal for Carlos Tevez despite interest from Real Madrid.

Tevez moved to Old Trafford on a two-year loan deal which expires at the end of the season and the European champions have first option on a permanent transfer.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Wayne Rooney is still years from reaching his peak after seeing the Manchester United striker rediscover his touch in front of goal in recent weeks.

The England star, who celebrates his 23rd birthday on Oct 24, has scored five goals in his last four games for club and country after netting just one goal in eight games in the early stages of the season.

MANCHESTER, Oct 3, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson has moved to reassure Fabio Capello that Wayne Rooney will not be pulled out of England's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

AALBORG, Denmark, Sept 29, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson has vowed to take Champions League minnows Aalborg seriously in Tuesday's Group E clash in Denmark after admitting he is still scarred by the memories of Manchester United's embarrassment in Copenhagen two years ago.

MANCHESTER, Sept 26, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson has warned the Premier League pacesetters his Manchester United side is finally ready to kick-start the campaign.

United's sluggish start has left Ferguson's team lying seven points behind early leaders Arsenal.

LONDON, Sept 25, 2008 (AFP) - Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has fired a word of warning at rivals Manchester City that it will take more than pots of money to buy them success.

Just three days after crushing Portsmouth 6-0 in the Premier League, City were dumped out of the League Cup in a penalty shoot-out by lower division side Brighton.

LONDON, Sept 25, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson was among those who paid tribute to Jimmy Sirrel after it was announced Thursday the former Notts County manager had died at the age of 86.

LONDON, Sept 21, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson admitted Manchester United had only themselves to blame for failing to kill off Chelsea before Salomon Kalou rescued a 1-1 draw in Sunday's Premier League showdown.

South Korea winger Park Ji-Sung put United ahead in the 18th minute at Stamford Bridge but Ferguson's side couldn't get the crucial second goal.

MANCHESTER, England, Sept 19, 2008 (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be thrust back into Manchester United's starting eleven at Chelsea on Sunday after pleading with Sir Alex Ferguson to be handed the chance to tackle Luiz Felipe Scolari's table toppers.

LONDON, Sept 17, 2008 (AFP) - Referees boss Keith Hackett has been defended after Sir Alex Ferguson blamed him for the decision to rescind Chelsea captain John Terry's red card at Manchester City on Saturday.

The move means England central defender Terry is now free to face Manchester United manager Ferguson's English champions in the Premier League this weekend.

MANCHESTER, England, Sept 16, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to renew his love affair with Manchester United's supporters after revealing that the Portuguese forward will return to action in the Champions League clash with Villarreal at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

SYDNEY, September 15, 2008 (AFP) - Former Glasgow Rangers great Ian Ferguson will be the inaugural head coach of new Australian A-League club North Queensland FC, his present club Central Coast said Monday.

Ferguson, 41, helped the Central Coast Mariners reach two A-League grand finals in the opening three years of the A-League as deputy to Lawrie McKinna.

GLASGOW, September 15, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson reckons Celtic's form at home in the Champions League means the Glasgow giants have a 'terrific chance' of reaching the last 16 for the third straight season.

MANCHESTER, September 12, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed the threat posed to Manchester United by newly-wealthy Manchester City and ridiculed their ambitions to sign Cristiano Ronaldo as 'absurd.'

LONDON, August 29, 2008 (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson insists Manchester United won't be favourites to win the Champions League this season.

Ferguson's side, who lifted the trophy after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea last season, begin their defence of the European crown next month.

MANCHESTER, August 26, 2008 (AFP) - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be motivated by revenge in Friday's Super Cup showdown against Zenit St Petersburg.

Ferguson is still bitter about Lazio's post-match celebrations when the Italian club beat United in their last Super Cup appearance in 1999 and has no intention of suffering a repeat in Monaco.

Sir Alex Ferguson has rejected John Terry`s claim that Manchester United will struggle to reproduce ...

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists he has no reason to fear the challenge from new ...

Sir Alex Ferguson claims that Manchester United have delivered a crushing blow to Real Madrid by ...

MANCHESTER, August 2, 2008 (AFP) - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson on Saturday warned his players that there will be no room for complacency in his squad this season.

United won both the Premier League and Champions League last season but Ferguson now wants his squad to focus of the new campaign.