Fergie renews attack on agents

Sir Alex Ferguson has slammed football agents and revealed the exorbitant demands some of them make of Manchester United.

According to reports in the Daily Mail, the Scot revealed that an agent even asked the Red Devils to buy him a block of flats in order to push a transfer through.

In an interview with RTE Radio 1, the manager also recalled another agent who demanded that his client, who was a striker, be paid a bonus every time he hit the back of the net.

Ferguson said: "I said (to the United board), "Can you please remind him that's why we are buying in the first place - because he's a goalscorer". This is what you're dealing with. It's unbelievable.

"I get annoyed when managers phone me and say such and such a player - and I'm talking about players who couldn't lace my reserve team's boots - is asking for £1million a year.

"That's when it's disappointing . . . the way some agents work a miracle by getting these terms for players who are not stars."

The manager also defended the wages that his top players are on, saying: "At United I think most of my first-team players deserve what they're getting.

"They're playing in front of 75,000 people every week, they're achieving, successful, good footballers, honest professionals.

"They produce on the field, they bring people into the grounds, and they deserve it. But there are some players at other clubs who get paid enormous amounts of money and I don't know why."

On the other hand, with Stoke's clash against Manchester United looming, Dean Whitehead is confident that his side can capitalise on United's recent defensive frailities.

He said: "There are a few games they have won which have been close games - against us here is an example. But if you get at them they are vulnerable at the back, I think. So I'm sure we will be working on ways to get at them."

The Red Devils will have to do without Wayne Rooney against Stoke, as the player twisted his ankle in the game against West Bromwich Albion during the weekend.