Fergie calls for crackdown on cheats

The Red Devils boss wants video evidence to punish the guilty parties and wants the severity of the punishment to rival that of violent conduct.

The remarks are made in view of Arsenal travelling to Old Trafford on Sunday after Robert Pires was accused of diving to win The Gunners a penalty in their last Premiership game against Portsmouth to earn a 1-1 draw.

Ferguson's players are not beyond reproach though with several Charlton Athletic stars accusing Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo of being too eager to go to ground under a challenge during their 2-0 defeat last weekend, while Ruud van Nistelrooy has also been accused in the past.

Ferguson said: "In general terms, I think diving is an issue. It is creeping into the game and I have already said that it should be stamped out.

"Managers have to be accountable. I think you have to have a word and say: 'Look, you are overdoing this'.

"We take our own action here at Old Trafford. We had an issue with one player diving for quite a while.

"We had to try and stop it and so we had a word with him.

"But the best result would be for the powers-that-be to act. What manager is going to drop his player or fine them?

"We already have a panel which sits and cites players for elbowing. Why don't they look into it? It is a big fault in the game.

"The FA should stand up and discipline the players responsible."

In other news, Ryan Giggs says Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will rue his decision not to strengthen his squad during the summer, and points to the Highbury defence as a point of weakness.

He said: "Arsenal have obviously had to come to terms with the new financial reality in football and Wenger wasn't able to bring many new faces in.

"The problem is if they get unlucky with injuries to defenders.

"Their first-choice defence is impressive but I'm not sure they've got the strength in depth."