Sir Alex Ferguson launched an astonishing attack yesterday on the way that the Barclays Premier League fixtures are drawn up and openly questioned whether the system was designed to handicap Manchester United.

Ferguson is so aggrieved by what he perceives as prejudice against United that he intends to send a club official to oversee the process in the summer. He says that this may be the only way that he can guarantee the veracity of the 2009-10 league programme. The United manager is concerned that, during the first half of this campaign, his side have had to play away from home against nine of the ten teams who finished directly below them in the league last season, and that the club's three European away games this term were followed by matches away from home in the league.

José Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, and Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, have questioned the fixture list in the past, although Ferguson, whose team are seven points adrift of Liverpool, the league leaders, albeit with two games in hand, has taken his objections a step farther.

“I've been saying this for a few months, but our fixture programme didn't do us any favours and I think we have been handicapped by the Premier League,” Ferguson, whose team face Southampton in the FA Cup third round at St Mary's Stadium tomorrow, said. “They tell me it's not planned - bloody hell!” Asked if he seriously thought that the Premier League wanted to put United at a disadvantage, the United manager said: “I've got my doubts. I'm not saying what they do down there, but next year we'll be sending somebody to see how it happens, I can assure you. I just don't understand how you can get the fixtures like that.”

Despite Ferguson's complaints, United did not raise any objections about their fixture scheduling with the Premier League when they had the chance last summer. Although not part of the Fixtures Working Party that oversaw this season's fixture list, Ken Ramsden, the United secretary, has since joined the group.

A statement from the Premier League dismissed Ferguson's claims. It said: “The Premier League fixtures are put together through as random a process as possible. The initial list is created by specialist software before going to the Fixtures Working Party, which is made up of representatives from the Premier League, Football League, FA, clubs and supporters. The police also approve it before it is sent to the clubs, at which point they can raise any objections they may have.

“There are various factors that go into the structuring of the fixture list - police requests, club requests, involvement in European or Fifa competitions for example - but the overriding factor is the luck of the draw.”

As revealed by The Times yesterday, United have completed the signing of Zoran Tosic, and Adem Ljajic, two young Serbian players, from Partizan Belgrade in a combined £16.3 million deal. Ferguson expects Tosic, 21, a left winger, to play some part for United this season but Ljajic, 17, who operates on the right of midfield, will not join the club for another 12 months. The arrival of the two players will not affect the futures of Nani or Park Ji Sung, with Ferguson insisting that the South Korean will be given a new contract.

Ferguson also expects to start talks about a new deal with Gary Neville, the 33-year-old captain, in the coming weeks, but suggested that any move to sign Carlos Tévez, the Argentina striker, on a permanent basis could be made nearer the end of the season.

The manager has also told Cristiano Ronaldo that he must accept the rough treatment he receives at the hands of opposition players after the Portugal winger showed signs of frustration in recent weeks. “Because it is Ronaldo, these things are magnified, but that's the penalty for being a great player,” Ferguson said. "He has to understand that."