Fergie cancels day off for his FA Cup flops

Ferguson's annoyance at what happened at Old Trafford led him to criticise referee Martin Atkinson for his handling of the game, and both he and his assistant Carlos Queiroz can expect to be charged by the FA.

But Sportsmail also understands that the United manager laid into his players in the aftermath of the defeat and then ordered them in for an extra day's work.

As part of the exchange, it is also understood that United's England striker Wayne Rooney refuted his manager's suggestions that the whole side had let themselves down and suggested that some of his team-mates had been more culpable than others.

Rooney had contributed a typically full-blooded and committed performance and was angry because he felt other star names had not done the same.

Although the FA Cup figures a distant third on his list of priorities behind the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League, United manager Ferguson had begun to wonder if his team could possibly repeat their astonishing Treble success of 1999.

Instead, Ferguson was yesterday reflecting on what might have been as the semi-final draw opened up for Portsmouth — the one top-flight team left in the competition — and United were left to try to limit the damage from Saturday's spectacular outbursts.

Officials at Soho Square were last night in the process of writing to Ferguson and Queiroz separately to "ask them for their observations".

Once they reply, the FA will come to a decision on what action to take but it seems inevitable that the two most senior figures in United's management team will be charged.

Queiroz was embarrassed yesterday by comments he had made, to the extent that he chose to retract a reference to Birmingham defender Martin Taylor.

Taylor is still recovering from the mental effects of breaking the right leg of Arsenal striker Eduardo at St Andrew's last month and was no doubt horrified to hear the United assistant manager refer to him in a BBC rant against referee Atkinson.

Queiroz said at the time: "That's why the Taylors of this game can survive and some of the best players are out of the game."

Former Real Madrid coach Queiroz is not known for insensitivity and the club sensibly posted what amounted to an apology on their official website at lunchtime yesterday.

Queiroz said: "I am deeply sorry if my comments, made when emotions were running high after the Portsmouth game, were misconstrued.

"Everyone at Manchester United knows that Martin Taylor is not that type of player.

"All I sought to say was that in the modern game, because of its speed, we need to have more vigilance on mistimed tackles.

"I apologise for any upset my remarks may have caused."