PAUL INCE slammed pundits who criticised Jose Mourinho's reaction to Marcus Rashford's Champions League miss against Young Boys on Tuesday.
Mourinho has since come under fire but the former midfielder, who made more than 160 appearances for the Red Devils, has leapt to his defence by reminding people what Sir Alex Ferguson would have done.
Rashford wasted an early gilt-edged chance which prompted the Manchester United boss to turn to the crowd, fold his arms and shake his head in a clear display of disappointment.
A late Marouane Fellaini strike meant United won 1-0 and sealed their qualification to the knock-out stage but Ince thinks Mourinho's reaction was perfectly understandable.
Speaking toPaddy Power Newshe said: "I don't think how Jose reacted to Marcus Rashford's miss was that bad. I really don't.
"People are trying to make him a scapegoat. Just because he looked up to the stand and said: 'Jesus, how do you miss that?'"
The 51-year-old added: "I've seen loads of managers do the same. Pep Guardiola has gone to his bench and said: 'What more can I do if they're going to miss chances like that?' so there's nothing in it."
"The bottom line is that Rashford is a Manchester United player. So, when he's one-on-one with a goalkeeper, in an important match, you'd expect him to score.
"Mark Hughes, Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy all would've scored it that's the expectation on a United centre forward."
Despite the backlash, Ince believes that Mourinho was quite subdued compared to United's legendary former boss.
Tony Pulis refuses to respond to The Sun's article by ex-Stoke player Dave Kitson detailing Pulis's hatred for Arsene WengerHe said: "Mourinho's reaction makes total sense.
"Fergie would've run on to the touchline and started hammering someone for missing that chance.
"So I'm not having this criticism of Jose, not one bit, it's just another case of people trying to jump on his back.
"Jose Mourinho is an emotional man, he has been all his career. We know that but, at the minute, everything he does, everybody is jumping on it, trying to make it a negative story."
Ince's playing career also included spells with West Ham, Liverpool and Inter Milan, but he has spent time as a manager since.
He believes his time in charge of Macclesfield, Blackburn, MK Dons, Notts County and Blackpool gives him an insight some big name pundits do not have.
In a surprising swipe at two United legends he said: "Pundits likes Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes, the ones who keep having a go at Mourinho and United all the time, they've not managed, they've not had to make the big decisions.
"I understand they have to have opinions I've done both roles, I can see it from both sides but they don't know what it's like to be in that situation as a manager."
Manchester United travel to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
The game kicks off at 5:15pm and is live on BT Sport.
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