Ferguson has not attended the written press interviews for almost five years, choosing only to honour his contractual obligations to Sky TV interviews as well as in-house TV and radio appointments.

But with several managers landing themselves in hot water with football authorities due to their emotional post-match outbursts, Fergie has called on managers to be protected by doing away with the interviews.

He cited the recent example of Gareth Southgate apparently calling Cristiano Ronaldo a cheat following United's win at Middlesbrough earlier this month, and Jose Mourinho's erroneous attack on Andrew Johnson at Goodison Park last week, as the reason for his belief.

"I don't think I would fall into the trap of criticising individual players myself but it is not easy," he said.

"Sometimes managers react after a game and leave themselves open. It is not easy. I have said this time and time again, after-match press conferences should be abandoned.

"It is a waste of time and does the manager no good whatsoever. All you end up with are sensational headlines. They should be stopped."

Any such move would be deeply unpopular with the notorious English written press that thrives on sensationalism and is already frustrated at having to feed on scraps to write headlines.