Sir Bobby Charlton has yet again reiterated his opinion that Jose Mourinho doesn’t have the right character to be manager of Manchester United.

“A United manager wouldn’t do that,” Charlton said, referring to Mourinho gouging Tito Vilanova’s eye, then Barcelona’s assistant coach, in the 2011 Spanish Super Cup. “Mourinho is a really good coach but that’s as far as I would go really. He’s the manager of Real Madrid and we expect to play them in the Champions League by the end of the season.”

When it is put to him that it is difficult to imagine a United manager being allowed to get away with some of Mourinho’s behaviour, Charlton said: “You are right. He pontificates too much for my liking. He’s a good manager, though.”

But Ferguson admires Mourinho. “He doesn’t like him too much, though,” Charlton responded.