Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson could face another touchline ban for comments made about a referee - even though this time he actually praised the official.

Ferguson was charged with improper conduct yesterday for comments made last week about Howard Webb, who was due to take charge of the team’s crucial Premier League match against Chelsea two days later.

In the buildup to the game, Ferguson told a media conference that he thought Webb - who refereed last year’s World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands - was “the best man for the job.”

But he added that his “big fear” was that bad refereeing decisions could affect the outcome of the game.

That was in violation of the English Football Association’s rules that states managers shouldn’t speak at all about a referee in advance of a match being played.

United beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford to move to within a point of winning the Premier League for a record 19th time.

Ferguson has until Monday afternoon to respond to the charge.

It is the second time this season that Ferguson has landed himself in trouble with English football’s governing body for comments about referees.

He received a three-match suspension in March for criticizing the performance of referee Martin Atkinson in the immediate aftermath of United’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea won that match 2-1.

Two matches were added to that sanction because of a previous suspended sentence hanging over him, resulting in Ferguson serving a five-match touchline ban.

The suspended sentence stemmed from Ferguson questioning the fitness of referee Alan Wiley after a match last season.