Man Utd No2 Phelan: We can't dwell on Liverpool defeat

Manchester United No2 Mike Phelan says they won't dwell on yesterday's 2-0 defeat at Liverpool.

United were undone by a Fernando Torres-inspired Liverpool, but Phelan insists there's no point in focusing too much on what happened.

He told BBC Sport: “We didn’t really get into out stride today. It was a disappointing result. We’re disappointed for the supporters and the team’s disappointed in that we didn’t really put up the best performance we could have done.

“We will probably look at it again and again and again and talk to the players about it but we have to move on. Another game comes around pretty quickly so we’ll put this one to bed, we’ll analyse it and move on to the next game.”

On the tightness of the league this year, he added: “We’re just part of many teams that can achieve something this year. We know that we have to win as many games as we possibly can and it just makes the league a little bit more interesting.

"There’s a lot more teams now (who) will have a case to push on. I think we’ve done that with Liverpool. We’ve given them a little bit more belief than possibly we should have done but that’s the nature of the game.”

Man Utd boss Ferguson risks more controversy after questioning ref in Liverpool defeat

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson questioned the experience of ref Andre Marriner after defeat at Liverpool.

Ferguson is already facing disciplinary action for his 'unfit' attack on Alan Wiley after his side's draw against Sunderland three weeks ago, but it did not stop him turning his anger on Marriner after a 2-0 win for Liverpool at Anfield.

Seething at key decisions that went against United, when Michael Carrick was denied a penalty and Jamie Carragher escaped with a yellow card for hauling down Michael Owen on the edge of the area, Ferguson said: "It is a very difficult atmosphere here. There was a wounded animal aspect to the game, and it was something we didn't overcome. I think it affected our players, and it affected the referee.

"This sort of atmosphere is hard to handle for a referee. Whether he had enough experience or not, I don't know, but he will certainly learn from it.

"We lost out to one or two major decisions. It was a clear penalty kick, when Carragher went right over the top of the ball on Carrick. The referee was only six yards from it, and it was a bad decision.

"But the one everyone will be talking about was when Carragher brought Owen down on the edge of the box. The laws of the game were altered to prevent professional fouls of that nature. Carragher is their best player and captain, and if he goes, it is a different game.

"The referee was only four or five yards from that one, so he can't use a covering defender as an excuse. Michael was clean through and, with his pace, he is going to get away from him.

"Their fans were fanatical, and they put the referee under pressure all the time. With every decision, it was the same."

He added: "Liverpool were the better team and deserved to win, but there were so many controversial things that happened, we have to feel aggrieved at some of them."