Sir Alex Ferguson has issued a withered tirade over the way that the Premier League fixtures are drawn up, and is of the opinion that his Manchester United side have been handicapped this season.
Such is Ferguson's grievance he intends to send a club official to oversee how the schedules are worked out in the close-season.
The Premier League have stoked Ferguson's ire following a run of fixtures that has seen United already play away to nine of the ten teams that finished directly below them in the table last season.
He is also not happy that the club have had to play away from home domestically directly after each of their European away days this term.
When quizzed on whether the Premier League wanted to handicap his club, Ferguson said: "I've got my doubts. I'm not saying what they do down there, but next year we'll be sending somebody to see how it happens, I can assure you. I just don't understand how you can get the fixtures like that.
"I've been saying this for a few months, but our fixture programme didn't do us any favours and I think we have been handicapped by the Premier League.
"They tell me it's not planned - bloody hell!"
A statement from the Premier League has rejected any such claims, with the top flight's ruling body insistent that the drawing up of the fixture list remains as random as possible.
"The Premier League fixtures are put together through as random a process as possible," read a statement from the Premier League.
"The initial list is created by specialist software before going to the Fixtures Working Party, which is made up of representatives from the Premier League, Football League, FA, clubs and supporters. The police also approve it before it is sent to the clubs, at which point they can raise any objections they may have.
"There are various factors that go into the structuring of the fixture list - police requests, club requests, involvement in European or Fifa competitions for example - but the overriding factor is the luck of the draw."
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