Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that criticism of Blackburn boss Steve Kean is a sorry reflection of British society.

Rovers boss Kean has faced continued protests against his management after his club dropped to the bottom of the Premier League table.

"I have never seen anything as bad as that. I feel for the lad. I tried to phone him, but he probably quite rightly had his phone switched off," Ferguson told Sky Sports News.

"For goodness sake, give the lad a break. It doesn't say a lot for our society."

Ferguson welcomes Kean's Blackburn to Old Trafford on New Year's Eve.