Fergie admits Ince mistake

United boss regrets 'big-time Charlie' comment

Last updated: 4th October 2008

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Ince: Ferguson admits mistake

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Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he was wrong to label Paul Ince a 'big-time Charlie'.

The Manchester United manager comes up against the former Old Trafford midfielder, who is now in charge at Blackburn Rovers, at Ewood Park on Saturday evening.

And the Scot is keen to play down his infamous pre-match team-talk, which was filmed in the dressing room by a TV documentary crew, when Ince played for Liverpool.

Mistake

He admitted: "It was a mistake to call Paul a big-time Charlie.

"We let the TV cameras into the dressing room but it won't happen again."

United fans used the comments to target Ince, but Ferguson feels he would have been singled out regardless after electing to join the Red Devils' arch rivals.

"The fans did not like him because he joined Liverpool," Ferguson added.

"It doesn't matter who the player is, if they go to Liverpool there is a different agenda altogether with our supporters.

"It would be the same the other way round."

Volatile

Given his comments, coupled with the manner in which Ince appeared to leave Old Trafford in 1995 in a £7million move to Inter Milan, most pundits wrongly thought relations between the pair were strained.

Ince has called Ferguson frequently in the last few months for advice after taking his first steps into top-flight management.

"I had no problems with Paul and certainly not with his ego," said Ferguson.

"You could not have a honeymoon all the time with him because he was so volatile. But he was a good player and he never let us down.

"In the end we received an offer from Inter Milan that was too good to turn down given I had Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and David Beckham coming through.

"It was the same with Jaap Stam a couple of years later. It was not an easy one but it was a lot of money and I felt it was good business at the time."