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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson on Friday (February 8) criticised what he felt was the English Premier League's lack of consultation with managers and players before announcing its plans to take some fixtures abroad. The league has proposed that clubs play one additional fixture overseas from 2011 in a 39-game season. Ferguson told a news conference in Manchester that those carrying the extra workload should have had an input before the ideas were made public -- and he particularly criticised his own club chief executive, David Gill. Asked about the plans, a smiling but obviously irritated Ferguson said: "I'm not getting into it at all, not a bit, because I'll just lose my temper. Just because I don't think we've been consulted. First of all I think it's absolutely disrespectful to us all that we're not getting consulted before this becomes an issue. They're all blabbermouths down there, they can't do it -- obviously it's quicker to tell their pals in the Press. Useless. "They were supposed to -- (Manchester United Chief Executive) David Gill says to me 'we are going to discuss it before we come to a decision'. That's the point I'm making. He says 'now don't say anything about it'. 'I'm not going to say a word', I says to him. I pick up a paper -- it's all over the papers, on Sky Television this morning at seven o'clock, it's on Sky this morning at seven. Well done David! Real secret! Real secret: talks are going on at the moment between the Manchester United manager and his chief executive David Gill -- and the whole world knows!" said Ferguson. Manchester United are hugely popular abroad, but other premiership clubs also have their international followings, partly because of the number of foreign players they employ. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was also asked about the premiership plans on Friday and told a news conference in London: "You have to cut somewhere else a game. You cannot always take and not give," he replied. Wenger said it was difficult to reconcile quality and quantity. "Everybody says 'yes, we all agree we play too many games', but still, every year, there's one more, two more added and at the end of the day you get your players to be in front of an impossible task: that means to give you quality and quantity and that is not easy. It's not simple as well," Wenger said. Chelsea manager Avram Grant commented: "I think it's (an) interesting idea. You know everybody likes the premier league, including in the many places in the world. I need to think about this. But it's interesting."