Ferguson Not Happy With Lunch Time Kick-offs

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"Take last season's example. Chelsea had a Sunday game against Tottenham and a Tuesday European tie so the Premier League changed it at Chelsea's behest to a Saturday lunchtime.

"It gave Chelsea three days' rest to prepare for their European game. Fine. But it left Tottenham only a day and half's rest after a European game on the Thursday night. So there was no fairness.

"The Premier League said they had to protect and be fair to the teams in Europe, but their job is to protect and be fair to teams in the Premier League.

"But when we got a lunchtime game after the semi-final of the European Cup in Milan we asked for it to be changed, but they said no because it wasn't fair on Manchester City who had no game at all that week.

"So the Premier League changed the Chelsea fixture - despite what Tottenham said - but when they had an opportunity to change ours, they didn't.

"How you complain about these things I don't know. They probably wouldn't listen anyway. You would think that having the most TV lunchtime kick-offs over the last five years deserves some kind of attention.

"I do think that the successful teams are punished.

"One of the top teams is always going to be a lunchtime kick-off or at a time that suits the public demand.

"You can't blame Sky or Setanta and once you do a deal with TV you're shaking hands with the devil. Then you have to accept that they are going to be in control.

"Instead it's the fault of the Premier League, particularly with these lunchtime kickoffs after European and international games."