Sloppy United Saved By Rooney The Daddy

Sir Alex Ferguson felt contrasting emotions after Manchester United's dramatic draw but hailed new daddy Wayne Rooney for inspiring the Reds' comeback to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

"We were absolutely fantastic in terms of our desire to win the match and were unlucky at times in the game. Their goalkeeper made some fantastic saves, we hit the post and missed a lot of other chances. And we also had a stonewall penalty turned down."

"But we didn't make it easy for ourselves and it became an uphill fight. That's maybe not a bad thing though because it's a reminder that when you leave yourself open in European football it can be very dangerous."

"Their first two goals were soft goals to lose and the third was unbelievable - a free header at the back post on a set-piece. That's the first goal we've lost on a set-piece for a year, it's a good reminder for us about how we need to defend those situations, especially as we'll face a lot of set-pieces on Sunday at Chelsea."

Sir Alex added, "Wayne hadn't had much sleep and I would have preferred to have left him on the bench."

"For these kind of games, players need as much rest as they can get beforehand and he hadn't had much."

"Having Wayne on the bench he was a safety player that we knew we could have played if we needed him. He was there for us. His energy and confidence levels were very high and makes an impact. He's such a good player and is always capable of scoring. He was a wee bit unlucky not to get a goal."

However, Sir Alex blasted referee Olegario Benquerenca for not awarding United a penalty.

"I can't believe the decision. It's one of the worst I've seen in my lifetime. And there's not a thing we can do about it unfortunately."

"You can maybe understand the fact you can't appeal yellow card in domestic football because it would clog up the system if everyone appealed bookings."

"But the situation in Europe is different - three bookings could mean you end up missing a Champions League final, just as Darren did last season when he was very unfortunate yet again. And the booking tonight could lead to him missing a really important game this season."

"It's something that UEFA should look at and the referee should be open about it. He's made a bad mistake, we all make mistakes in games and he should be big enough to say he's made a mistake and forget the booking."