MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER Alex Ferguson believes Chelsea defender John Terry can consider his Football Association punishment ‘lenient’.

An independent FA commission banned the former England captain for four games and fined him £220,000 yesterday after finding him guilty of racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

The verdict came despite Terry being cleared of the allegations at a London court in July. The Chelsea captain is still deciding whether or not to appeal the decision, but Ferguson thinks Terry should think twice about prolonging the saga.

“There is a danger of it resurrecting itself because it has been going on for so long,” Ferguson told reporters. ”But the fact he got a four-game ban, he may consider that is quite lenient considering Luis Suarez got eight.

“It is time to move on and so should the game.”

Terry announced his retirement from the England national team on the eve of the hearing.

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