Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew has suggested that Sir Alex Ferguson has been treated more favourably than other Premier League managers.

Ferguson stormed onto the pitch at half-time during the 4-3 win over Newcastle to confront referee Mike Dean over Newcastle’s second goal.

Pardew has said it was unfair of the Manchester United boss to put the referee under that much pressure and that he should have been sent off as a result.

Pardew said to the Guardian:

“I think Mike Dean might feel slightly disappointed he didn’t do something about it. I think the pressure that was on him was tough for a referee to take.

Sometimes when you reflect on a game you think you might have acted differently.”

To put the incident into context, there were two other incidents on Boxing Day involving QPR manager Harry Redknapp and Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.

Both incidents relate to each manager’s comments after their match with Redknapp implying one of the linesmen should have gone to an optician and Mancini suggesting the referee had eaten too much over Christmas.

The FA is reportedly ready to write each manager in order to get them to explain their comments but because Dean made no reference to the confrontation with Ferguson, the Manchester United boss looks set to go unpunished.

If the FA decides to charge Redknapp and Mancini with improper conduct then they could receive touchline bans but because Ferguson did not use abusive or inappropriate language, he will not be charged.

Pardew has also suggested that there were a number of off the ball incidents throughout the game which could be examined by the FA.

The whole matter questions the integrity of the FA’s rules and guidelines and suggests they need to be re-evaluated to make what is and isn’t acceptable much clearer.