So, Alex Ferguson has come out today to say (in essence) the Premier League are deliberately making Man Utd's fixture list tougher than everyone else's and he's going to send someone to FA Headquarters next year to make sure it's done 'right'.

To be fair he might as well go himself, sort out a few conduct hearings and get the fixture draw in at the same time, a nice day out for all the family.

Seriously though, there are only four reasons I can think of him saying this, and I'm wondering which one people think it is.

1) He's right. Just thought I'd get this one in before the Manc fans complain. No, I have no idea about the fixture creation for the Prem teams, I wasn't there.

I will then concede that Fergum may actually be correct. I doubt this, especially as the Man U heirachy have already issued a statement apparently distancing themselves from what Fergs said... but, it is a possibility.

2) Getting his excuses in early. Let's be honest, does he really need to? They've won something already, even if it was a meaningless cup nobody watched (but that doesn't stop Carling Cup winners celebrating, does it?), and are going strong in the Prem right now, especially with games in hand.

I see Man Utd as more credible challengers to Liverpool now than Chelsea and would think Fergie can look at the table and be content.

However, on the flip side we know Fergus does love his excuses whether it's refs, pitches, fixtures or injuries, so this can be counted as a possible reason.

3) Mind games. He may be a distant second to the likes of Mourinho (be him ever so humble...) but we know he likes to play the mental tactician as much as the sporting one.

Is this trying to put extra pressure on Liverpool and Chelsea by suggesting they have it easier, so trying to bring in more doubt if things don't go to plan in a game or two?

Is this trying to affect his own players, make some of the current underachievers (not naming names... Berbatov) realise if they want to win something this year they have to push harder?

This one is probably a low-odds stake, but maybe not quite favourite because there's one aspect of Fergal mind games that deserves it's own section.

4) Paranoia. I really don't know if Fergarina really does have the paranoia he seems to or whether this too is a carefully constructed mind game.

A player from his Aberdeen days said he was always trying to permeate a feeling of paranoia through the dressing room, against the Old Firm clubs, against the Scottish FA, against the refs... basically against anyone who wasn't Aberdeen.

We all know this has carried on into the Prem, as Ferging spent years being the top conspiracy theorist in the country before Arsene Wenger came along. We're talking about a man who could solidly suggest the FA horsenapped Shergar, shot Kennedy, faked the moon landings and are really run by a shadowy organisation of Illuminati headed by Lord Lucan.

I sort of hope he doesn't believe what he's saying, but all geniuses have a flaw in their mental make-up, perhaps this is it?

What it does succeed in doing, however, is giving the players the feeling of being underdogs... and the British love an underdog (and Tim Henman). Man U were possibly the only team I know to win a treble and still be suggesting the world were against them, admittedly most of the footballing world IS, partly because of the aforementioned paranoia but that's beside the point.

Believed or not Fergasaurus Rex is the joint-master of paranoia in the Prem (with Wenger) and is this yet another indicator he might be losing it completely and wearing a tinfoil hat to games... or he's still as sharp as ever and trying to get that extra little edge from his players?

Personally of all four options, I'd suggest the last is the most likely, but as to whether he believes what he comes out with... I have no clue.

Anybody else got any ideas? (and let's not get into any slanging matches, no "I hate Man U" comments, if I can try and be vaguely impartial, so can you.)