Leboeuf points finger at Fergie

Sir Alex Ferguson's pre-match mind games with referee David Elleray helped United snatch a draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, according to Frank Leboeuf.

The United manager piled the pressure on Elleray ahead of the Premiership clash, warning the Harrow official not to do anything stupid and claiming he "did not do his job properly" during United's 5-0 drubbing at Chelsea last season.

On that occasion Nicky Butt was sent off for a clash provoked by Dennis Wise, whose earlier crude challenge went unpunished.

This time, the French defender said it was Chelsea who were on the receiving end, with Elleray ruling out a second half goal and an earlier penalty appeal from Gianfranco Zola.

Leboeuf said: "We had a good first half and we should have killed the game. Gianfranco's goal should have stood. I looked on the television and I couldn't see anything wrong with it. Also I think it was a penalty against Gianfranco in the first half.

"But we knew the decisions wouldn't go our way because we saw Ferguson's comments about the referee in the newspapers."

Maybe so, but it was the linesman, not the referee, who ruled the ball had gone out of play after an embarrassing mistake by United goalkeeper Raimond Van Der Gouw had given Zola the chance to curl the ball home from the left hand corner flag.

It was another mistake, this time by Paul Scholes, that had led to Chelsea's opener. His 23rd minute back header towards his goal-keeper gifted the loitering Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink with an easy goal. Andy Cole equalised 20 minutes from time.

For Leboeuf, celebrating his 200th game as a Chelsea player on Saturday, it was a return to form after the unsettling experience of the past few weeks. Following the collapse of his move to Monaco, he seems content to see out the last year and a half of his contract at Stamford Bridge.

He said: "It was a big honour for me, I never thought it would be such a lovely long story between Chelsea and myself. I didn't know when I first came here that I would be going on such a great adventure so to play my 200th game was a real pleasure.

"My life is completely settled in England . I've my friends, my house, the kids are at school and I know where to go to enjoy my time. I am a complete Londoner. I know London better than I know Paris. I am still here, I am still playing and I am staying."