Sir Alex Ferguson has blasted Blackburn Rovers’ decision to sack manager Sam Allardyce.
New Rovers owners, The Venky’s Group, surprisingly ended Allardyce’s reign on Monday, with the former Bolton and Newcastle United boss admitting he was “confused” by the decision.
And the news of Allardyce’s sacking, which Venky’s claim is down to “wider plans”, was a huge surprise to Ferguson too.
The Manchester United manager told Sky Sports 1: “He phoned me at 3.10pm (Monday) saying ‘can I have a cup of tea tonight?’ because he was coming to the game.
“Then he phones me at half past four and says ‘I’ve been sacked’.
“I’ve never heard such a stupid decision in all my life, it’s absolutely ridiculous. I don’t what they’re doing up there, but deary me.
“It confounds common sense to be honest with you. Absolutely ridiculous. I wouldn’t want to follow him.”
Former Rovers defender Tony Gale told Sky Sports: “I'm astounded but I'm sure there is a lot more to it, what with the new owners coming in and probably taking some of the initiative off Sam and managing the club.
“I think I read in the papers that it wasn't going to be in Sam's control who they would be buying and selling and Sam's his own man. I don't think it's right that you get other people's players into the club.
“He is definitely the right man for that job. What he has achieved there on a shoestring budget is incredible because if you look at what they've got on paper you wouldn't think they'd be surviving in the Premier League at the moment.
“It's far from the days of Jack Walker and Sam coming in there kept them up in the first place. They couldn't have a better manager for the situation
“Unless these owners are going to pump millions of pounds into the club and become another Man City, it seems another case of owners knowing nothing about football.
“This is a man who has been talked about following Fabio Capello into the England job.”