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Rafael da Silva's red card was 'harsh', says Spurs' Harry Redknapp

احدث اجدد واروع واجمل واشيك Rafael da Silva's red card was 'harsh', says Spurs' Harry Redknapp

ir Alex Ferguson fumed at the referee Mike Dean for his decision to send off Rafael da Silva for a second bookable offence but the Manchester United manager could be cheered by his team's resilience in the 0-0 draw at Tottenham Hotspur, which carried them back to the top of the table.

It was a day of four draws in the Premier League and perhaps the biggest controversy was Rafael's dismissal for a 74th‑minute clip on Benoît Assou‑Ekotto. Even Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, described the card as "harsh".

"It was Mary Decker and Zola Budd," Redknapp said, referring to the infamous coming together of the 3,000m finalists at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. "He was just running and he has clipped Benoît's heels. He has not broken his stride and stuck a leg out, saying 'I'll trip him'. He was trying to get out of the way."

Rafael kicked a microphone at the side of the pitch but is unlikely to face further punishment unless Dean reports the incident. Ferguson has clashed with Dean in the past, most recently after his team's 2-1 defeat at home by Chelsea last April, while in November 2008 he was fined £10,000 and given a two-game touchline ban for his reaction to the referee's performance in United's 4-3 home win over Hull City. Ferguson was careful about what he said this time but his unhappiness was clear. "I don't need to discuss it. You can see it for yourself. I don't have to discuss the referee. It's out of my bounds now, thank God."

United remain unbeaten and have two games in hand on their neighbours Manchester City, with whom they are level on points. "It could be a real thrilling end to the season," Ferguson said. "We have to win our games in hand. We go to Chelsea on 1 March, which will be a massive game. This was a decent point for us. Our defenders were particularly good." Redknapp said his team were the "outsiders of the five" contenders for the title. "But we are still there. This makes me realise we are not a million miles behind these other teams."

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