Fulham boss Roy Hodgson says Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson owes him a bottle of plonk after defending Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this season.

The Portuguese winger has courted controversy by letting his temper get the better of him and kicking out in retaliation after having his ankles clipped. But the Fulham manager insists that it is asking too much to expect players to behave like saints.

He said: "Alex owes me a drink on this one I think, but never forget that football players are human beings. Never forget that when someone hurts you, your first reaction is to react against them.

"If you are walking down the street and all of a sudden someone throws a right hand and smacks you in the ear, your first reaction is to hit them back.

"If someone finds themselves being fouled a lot or being knocked over and has a kick out to show his displeasure, he is the one who gets sent off and the person who has been knocking him over five or six times gets away with it. A lot of the red cards you see are for so-called retaliation."