STALEMATE

Last updated : 10 May 2007 By Ed

Ferguson

"It was a very competitive game that got out of hand: in the first half Mikel was lucky to stay on the pitch after a very bad tackle," he said. "It was a hard game to handle. That just shows how much competition there is between the two clubs."

"People have said it was a clear penalty and that would have taken their home record, so that was a pity," said Ferguson.

However after he admitted:

"Having seen it on the video, no I don't think he has touched him, so it's not a penalty.

"I have to be pleased at the result, some of the performance was good at times but we tired in the last 15 minutes; players like Kieran Lee, Chris Eagles and Dong (Fangzhuo) were spent forces by the end."

Asked whether the likely absence of Ricardo Carvalho from the FA Cup final was a boost to his team, the Scot added: "In these games, you hope (John) Terry's not playing, you hope (Petr) Cech's not playing, you hope (Didier) Drogba's not playing.

"That's the nature of football at the end of the day. I am hoping I can get there with a good strong squad myself."

Mourinho

"I thought I was sent to the stand but after my assistants and Clattenburg said I could stay in my position," Mourinho said.

"I cleaned my soul a little bit. I thought I was sent to the stands but I wasn't."

When asked why he reacted so angrily towards Poll, he said: "I can't remember: there have been so many incidents. So many Chelsea matches. I told him a couple of things that I have had in my heart since the Tottenham game at White Hart Lane.

"Nothing special; it happened but it was nothing special because I was not sent to the stand. He had a normal performance when he is refereeing Chelsea matches."

He also had a moan that the game had become meaningless:

"The only thing that is difficult to accept is that we didn't play on April 16,"

"It is difficult to accept because the Premiership is the best league in the world and the best in the world can't afford to make the mistake of a Chelsea-Man United fixture when there is an FA Cup semi-final and a big, big chance of one or two teams being involved. I think that is very bad. This game is one that every fan around the world should be eating."

Wesley Brown

"It was a difficult game for us, but we have come out with a creditable draw," he told Sky Sports 1.

"We played players, a lot of them out of position and some young lads, and we have not played that way all season.

"We all had to play well and stick together. They put a lot of pressure on us but we stayed strong."

"The cup final is a special occasion and a big one for both teams.

"That is the main thing over the next 10 days."