Sir Alex Ferguson claims Manchester United can still retain the Premier League title despite their poor start to the season – but admitted he would have been "raging" at the club's fixture list had he still been in charge.

Ferguson, who released his autobiography on Tuesday with his old club languishing in eighth place, says he will offer the new manager David Moyes his full support and believes the Scot has what it takes to turn things around.

"This press conference has come at a bad time for me," Fergsuon admitted. "If we'd have been top of the league there would not be this question. But when I joined United I got great encouragement from Sir Matt Busby and I hope to support David Moyes in the same way.

"When I saw the fixture list I would have been raging too, and I wanted to go down to the [Premier] League myself. But United are the one club in that league who can win it from this position. Once they get the ball rolling, they will be fine."

Ferguson also revealed how he was offered the England job by the then Football Association chief executive Adam Crozier, but turned it down flat.

"It was my great opportunity in life to relegate them [England] but there was no way I could have taken that job. It didn't take me long [it took] 10 seconds. There was no way I could manage England, not in a million years. Think of me going back to Scotland. Deary me."

Ferguson also took a swipe at David Beckham, who left Manchester United to join Real Madrid, over his celebrity lifestyle. "He fell in love with Victoria [Beckham] and that changed everything," he said. "I am a football man … If he had asked my advice when he left Real Madrid for LA Galaxy I would have told him exactly what I thought.

"Maybe in years to come he will think maybe I should have stayed at Real Madrid but I don't think I have been too critical. How can you argue with how he has turned out. He's a marvellous boy. He worked to get to the point where he became a great player."