Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson fired a broadside at Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho on Friday, saying the Portuguese should be punished for questioning the integrity of referees.

Mourinho had suggested that Premier League leaders United, who Chelsea trail by three points, got special treatment over penalties.

"Jose seems to be on some sort of a personal crusade about regulations, honesty and suspicion in the game," Ferguson told a news conference on Friday.

"I think the FA and Premier League have let him off lightly because what he is saying is that our game is suspicious and I think that's wrong. I am surprised at that because it will go on and on and on.

"He's accused Barcelona in the past, he accused the Swedish referee [Andreas Frisk], he put the German referee under massive pressure the other night, insulted Liverpool - a club with a great history - and suggested their players were going to hunt down [Didier] Drogba.

"He's going on and on. It's a rant every time now and that's disappointing."

Mourinho further fanned the flames in the war of words by reportedly suggesting on Portuguese television that United winger Cristiano Ronaldo had lied in the great penalty dispute by querying Mourinho's version of events over the award of penalties against United.

Ferguson countered that by adding: "Everyone's got an opinion. Ronaldo's got an opinion, Carlos Queiroz has got an opinion but that doesn't mean to say they are liars."

EXTRA PRESSURE

With just four league games to go - including a potentially pivotal meeting between the two clubs at Stamford Bridge on May 9 - Ferguson believes Mourinho's comments have been calculated to undermine United's title bid and put extra pressure on referees.

Pointing out that United have conceded three penalties at Old Trafford this season, compared to none by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Ferguson said: "So Alan Wiley, who gave a penalty against us a few weeks ago against Bolton, is the referee tomorrow [in United's game at Everton]. What kind of pressure does it put him under?

"If we get a penalty kick against us in the next four games he wins. Mourinho wins that war and I think that's wrong. I don't think it's strain, it's all calculated.

"There are bad decisions and good decisions. We all get them. No-one is exempt from them. You just have to get on with it."

Kick-off times have also been a bone of contention between the two rival managers with Ferguson unhappy that Chelsea had been permitted to play Tottenham in a match earlier this month less than 48 hours after Spurs had played a UEFA Cup tie.

However, United's request to have their derby clash at Manchester City next Saturday put back a day following their midweek trip to AC Milan in the Champions League has been rejected.

"Is that fair? We don't think it's fair," Ferguson said. "But we are not going to start accusations of suspicion in the Premier League that Chelsea and the Premier League have got it carved up.

"We just have to accept it and we will be going to Manchester City to do our very best because it's important to this club to do it the right way and we will do it the right way.

"There will be no complaints from us. We made our case to the Premier League and it was refused and we will get on with it."