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ANGER over the flood of criticism directed at manager Alex Ferguson was the spur to Manchester United's battling defeat of champions Chelsea, Rio Ferdinand has revealed.

Ferguson had been under intense pressure ahead of Sunday's Old Trafford showdown following defeats at Middlesbrough and Lille and club captain Roy Keane's scathing criticism of his teammates on the club's own television channel.

But a gutsy display from Ferdinand and co. has eased the pressure on the manager and the England defender admitted: "People were calling for his head but that was absolutely ridiculous.

"We all know what a great manager he is and beating Chelsea was for him as much as anyone.

"It was a big, big win for the fans, the players and the manager. Everyone has been under presssure but probably no one more than the gaffer."

Ferdinand warned that United, who remain ten points adrift of Chelsea, could not afford to stand back and admire their good work in ending Jose Mourinho's side's 40match unbeaten run in the Premiership.

"It will mean absolutely nothing if we got and play badly in our next game against Charlton," Ferdinand told The Sun. "This has to be the start of big things."

Ferdinand has been under pressure himself in recent weeks. After being dropped from the England starting line-up last month, he has been jeered by a section of the United support for error-strewn performances which have scarcely justified his reported £120,000 (RM840,000) a week salary.

Ferdinand was one of the players criticised by Keane in his controversial outburst on MUTV last week, which the club decided not to broadcast.

But he insisted the club captain had not said anything that he did not think about his own performances. "I respect Roy as the team captain," Ferdinand said. "He obviously spoke and said what he felt but what he said about me is nothing that I didn't think about myself and more. I'm my own fiercest critic."

Ferdinand denied however that Keane had referred to his wages during his onslaught, as some reports suggested.

"I've seen the interview and nowhere does Roy ever mention what I earn or refer to my contract. He was specifically looking at faults in the Middlesbrough game regarding all the players and he was absolutely spot on with his comments."

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