Carlos Queiroz believes the only way Manchester United will be awarded a penalty is if one of their players is shot.

The Portuguese assistant manager made his controversial remarks following the dramatic 2-1 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Michael Ballack scored the winner with four minutes remaining after Michael Carrick had been adjudged by referee Alan Wiley to have handled the ball.

It was the German's second goal of the game and came after Wayne Rooney had equalised with a cool finish.

Queiroz was incensed and claimed United should have had a penalty when Ballack challenged Cristiano Ronaldo.

Queiroz told the BBC: "How can the referee not see that Ballack has jumped on Ronaldo?

"It must be necessary for a player to bring a gun and shoot one of our men in the box for us to get a penalty.

"The referee was five metres away from both penalty incidents but he gives only one penalty.

"It is a hard to say what is going on with this game.

"I have to talk about some of the decisions in the last few weeks that have damaged this football club."

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson also questioned whether Ballack should have ever been given the chance of securing the winner.

"It was absolutely diabolical," he told MUTV.

"It is a major decision. Granted, it hit his hand. But he has not lifted his hand above his shoulders, above his head, anything like that.

"It is going straight to Rio Ferdinand. The referee should have seen that rather than the linesman.

"If we're not going to get those decisions then we are under pressure."

Despite a frantic finish in which Ronaldo and Darren Fletcher had shots cleared off the line, United could not get the second equaliser.

It means Avram Grant's Chelsea have come up on the rails to draw level on points at the top of the table with two games remaining.

Ferguson insists his side are still in the driving seat, given their superior goal difference.

They finish the campaign with a home game against West Ham on Saturday - Chelsea play two days later at Newcastle - followed by a trip to Wigan on the final day.

"It is still in our hands," said Ferguson.

"The players and the support are really fired up for the next league game. Hopefully we can get the result we want.

"In fairness, Chelsea were the better team in the first half.

"Sometimes, coming out of a European game, it takes a while to get it right. Unfortunately, it didn't happen for us."

Ferguson expects Rooney to be fit for the Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona next Tuesday after he took a bang on the hip.

However Nemanja Vidic could be doubtful after being carried off on a stretcher at Stamford Bridge.

The Serbian defender lasted only 14 minutes before being hurt in an aerial challenge with Didier Drogba. He needed stitches and lost a tooth.

Ferguson was angered by the challenge and said: "He got kneed in the face by Drogba - no foul given. He was dazed rather than concussed."

With the teams locked at 0-0 after the first leg against Barcelona at the Nou Camp in midweek, Ferguson added: "We are one step away from Moscow. "Hopefully we can do it."

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