Sir Alex takes revenge on Preston

jonchao72 SG

Sir Alex Ferguson has exacted some form of family revenge on Preston North End by calling back Manchester United's loanees from the club that sacked his son Darren this week.

United youngsters Joshua King and Ritchie de Laet have been recalled from Deepdale with immediate effect while a request has also been put in for Preston to release Matty James "as soon as possible".

Preston chairman Maurice Lindsay said: "It's come as a shock to us and a big blow. Ritchie and Joshua won't be available because we got a message from Manchester United that they've been summoned back immediately. They would like Matty back as well but his contract is a little different."

Championship cellar-dwellers Preston removed Darren Ferguson on Wednesday, elevating coach David Unsworth to the manager's position as a short-term solution.

"What a baptism of fire for David Unsworth, to be told within half-an-hour in the job that two or three of your best players have been summoned back," Lindsay said.

Ferguson Snr is reportedly furious at his son's sacking, despite Preston's lowly position seemingly justifying the change in direction for the club.

Lindsay added: "I was hoping this would never occur but when we're approaching the new year bottom of the league and with the future of the club itself in serious jeopardy if we are relegated, there clearly had to be some soul-searching and we had to tell Darren that for the sake of the club we needed a new manager. I went to his house for the sad task of talking to him and he was very dignified."

wahh fergie damn fierce

kenn3th SG

talk about some serious and devastating revenge.

Rock^Star SG

didnt fergie junior learn anything from daddy at all? how come man u top, they bottom. Poles apart.

jonchao72 SG

didnt fergie junior learn anything from daddy at all? how come man u top, they bottom. Poles apart.

this is a case whereby "like father,like son" does not apply

charlize SG

That's not very professional of Fergie right?

How can he use his influence to send a message to Preston like that ?

It makes his son look like "Daddy's boy".

Who would want to hire Fergie's son next time?

Furthermore, the club was at the bottom. Preston had every right to opt for a new manager to turn things around.

Saltiga SG

another way of looking at it and might have been the actual case of the loan deal initially was to help his son push the club back, but since Darren's sacking ManU don't have to help them at all.. just a tot

kenn3th SG

Another in my opinion is, since they are at the bottom , there's no point placing his players there on loan.

Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1) SG

While Preston can sack his son wad

while they are bottom......

i wonder

if SAF son go replace Hodgson

surely... they loan gd player to him

zocoss SG

Abandon ship: Pugh (left) and Tonge are set to return to Stoke from Preston

Stoke boss Tony Pulis

This way, gentlemen: Stoke boss Pulis wants his players back early

Preston suffered further misery in the wake of Darren Ferguson's sacking today when they lost two more loan players ahead of schedule.

Sportsmail revealed how Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson reacted furiously to his son's dismissal by demanding the recall of loanees Ritchie de Laet, Josh King and Matty James.

Now shellshocked caretaker boss David Unsworth has had his Preston squad further depleted after Ferguson's close friend Tony Pulis ordered on-loan pair Michael Tonge and Danny Pugh back to Stoke.

Midfielders Tonge and Pugh had played key roles for Preston, since arriving at Deepdale in the middle of November, and only recently agreed to extend their stay until January 16.

But both have had their loan spell cut short after Stoke boss Pulis intervened and followed Ferguson's lead in recalling them early.

Tonge and Pugh are both Manchester-born and both launched their careers at Old Trafford before being released by Ferguson.

Tonge, once a target for Liverpool during his Sheffield United days, is a highly skilled attacking midfielder, while Pugh's contract at Stoke was extended to 2013 shortly before Christmas.

After losing his Old Trafford trio, just as he was planning to involve them in the Bank Holiday double header against Derby and Crystal Palace, temporary boss Unsworth now has his work cut out, trying to steer Preston away from the foot of the npower Championship, in the wake of his latest stunning setback.