SIR Alex Ferguson’s biggest regret, the odds for Wayne Rooney’s next destination, Alexis Sanchez’s Ballon d’Or snub, and Mauricio Pochettino’s complaints.

All that and more in today’s edition of Paper Talk.

FERGIE’S BIGGEST REGRET

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed the biggest regret of his managerial career: looking for hotel accommodation in Glasgow, the venue for the 2002 Champions League final, before his Red Devils had even won their semi-final.

Back in 2002, United had an excellent chance to go back to the Champions League final, being pitted against unfancied Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in the semi’s.

The Scot was so confident his side would progress to the final at Hampden Park in the city of his birth that he began making plans for the final before they had even played Leverkusen.

He said: “The one I really regret was not taking Manchester United to the [Champions League] final in 2002.

“In the build up to the final at Hampden, I was told to go up to Glasgow and check out hotels. So I went up and checked out hotels that would have been ideal for us.”

Ferguson admitted he had his doubts on the journey back from Scotland, saying: “I was driving back from Glasgow and I said: ‘I don’t like it, why have I done this?’”

Despite United’s confident pre-final planning, Leverkusen spoiled the party, with Michael Ballack and Oliver Neuville scoring in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford before Neuville was again on the scoresheet in the return leg – a 1-1 draw – that meant the German side advanced to the final on away goals.

“We lost the semi-final, but that’s life,” Ferguson lamented, while also joking about ‘Fergie time’: “The referee couldn’t understand my time and his time!”

Leverkusen would go on to lose the final 2-1 to Real Madrid, with Zinedine Zidane scoring a stylish volley for the winning goal.

WHAT NEXT FOR WAYNE?

Struggling Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney’s next club will be MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy, according to the bookies.

Rooney, who has not started in United’s last four matches, has been told by Jose Mourinho that he must leave Old Trafford if he wants regular first team football.

Betting agency Ladbrokes have installed the Galaxy as the early favourites to sign Rooney at just 4/1, possibly as a replacement for the departing Steven Gerrard, who has indicated this will be his last season playing in America.

‘Any Chinese club’ is next in the Rooney odds at 5/1 – former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, now in charge of Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG, was recently linked with a move for Rooney that would pay the England skipper a reported £500,000 a week.

Wayne Rooney’s next club – the odds:

Los Angeles Galaxy 4/1

Any Chinese club 5/1

Any club in the Middle East 6/1

PSG 8/1

Everton 10/1

Real Madrid 14/1

Monaco 16/1

Chelsea 20/1

Sunderland 33/1

BALLON D’FLAW

It appears that Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez feels a tad hard done by after not being included on the 30-man shortlist for this year’s Ballon d’Or.

The Chilean forward, along with Arsenal teammate Mesut Ozil and Chelsea star Eden Hazard, were among the Premier League players not named on the shortlist which did include Leicester striker Jamie Vardy.

Following the snub, Sanchez has shown his true feelings by liking an Instagram post of an Arsenal fan making a case for his inclusion on the list.

Sanchez started 28 league games for Arsenal last season, scoring 13 goals as the Gunners pipped North London rivals Tottenham to second place in the Premier League.

Regardless of any snub, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo is heavily favoured to win the award for a fourth time after leading Real to victory in the Champions League while also claiming the Euro 2016 title with Portugal.

SMALLING COPS JOSE’S HAIRDRYER

The Mirror is reporting that Mourinho tore into United defender Chris Smalling at both half-time and full-time of the Red Devil’s loss to Chelsea.

The England defender had a shocking match at Stamford Bridge, being culpable for all four Chelsea goals, and Mourinho let him know about it, reportedly ripping shreds off the England defender in front of the entire United squad.

Mourinho was said to be incensed with Smalling, his stand-in skipper for the match, for the 26-year-old’s lack of leadership and abysmal defending.

Mourinho is not the only one critical of Smalling, with former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol also critical of the centre back.

“There’s one man who can stop this from happening, and it’s Chris Smalling,” Nicol told ESPN FC.

“All he has to do is be positive, attack the ball, but instead of that, he completely shirks all responsibility.

“He was looking over his shoulder, hoping somebody would bail him out [for Pedro’s opening goal after 30 seconds].

“In the end, all he did was cause problems for his goalkeeper and full-back - 100% this is at Chris Smalling’s door.”

“And guess what, is it really a surprise?”

While Mouriniho has publicly claimed that United played well in the 4-0 defeat, privately the Portuguese boss is believed to be livid with the meek manner of his sides defeat.

The Red Devils and Smalling will need to regroup in a hurry, with a crunch EFL Cup tie against bitter local rivals Manchester City on the horizon.

JOSE THE HERMIT

Jose Mourinho has revealed he feels trapped by his lifestyle in Manchester while branding his current set-up a “disaster”.

The Special One is still living in the top-floor suite of Manchester’s Lowry Hotel, with no plans on the horizon to move out.

Meanwhile, Mourinho’s family remain in London, with the 53-year-old manager alluding to a feeling of homesickness as he discussed his fishbowl existence in Manchester.

Following the humiliating 4-0 defeat to former club Chelsea, Mourinho said of his current circumstances: “For me it’s a bit of a disaster because I want sometimes to walk a little bit and I can’t.

“I just want to cross the bridge and go for a restaurant. I can’t, so it is really bad.

“Buy a house? I do not know, I do not know. The reality is that my daughter will be 20 next week, my son will be 17 in a couple of months. They are very stable. University in London. Football in London. Friends.

“So they are in an age where they can’t chase me like they did before. So for the first time the family lives in a different way.

“We try to feel it, we try to see the evolution of our feelings and see how we cope with the situation.”

Mourinho also said he plans to move into an apartment in Manchester, just like Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola.

“Maybe if I can get a good apartment, with a good connection from the garage to the apartment, maybe I do it, but I can’t cook,” Mourinho said. “But I have my apps and I can ask for food to also be delivered, which I do sometimes.

“You know the history of the paparazzi, for the hotel and the brand that sponsors me, the clothes brand, is amazing because they are there every day.

“Everybody knows the name of the hotel! Everybody knows the last arrivals of that brand! So for them, it is amazing.”

POTCH FIRES UP

Mauricio Pochettino has criticised the actions of Jurgen Klopp’s coaching staff during Liverpool’s 2-1 EFL Cup win over Spurs.

The Tottenham boss felt 18-year-old full back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was making his Liverpool debut, should have been sent off for a lunging tackle on Ben Davies that referee Jon Moss only punished with a caution.

Pochettino was then left bewildered when Jurgen Klopp and his assistant Zelkjo Buvac protested to the fourth official after Spurs defender Kevin Wimmer was booked for bowling over striker Danny Ings.

“I think it was a bit strange that at the end of the game when their whole bench, they started to complain about us over the actions when the full back, Arnold, should be sent off with the big tackle on Ben Davies,” Pochettino said after the defeat.

“It was strange when their bench started to complain with another bench. It is the referee’s authority to say if it was [a foul] or not. It was strange.

“We needed to focus on the game. They complained about a normal foul at the end of a game. Maybe, yes, they were lucky [not] to finish with 10.”

Klopp made 11 changes to the side that beat West Brom in their last match, saying that he was delighted with the performance against Spurs: “Daniel scored wonderful goals for us and really important but they could have come from others. It was really good.

“It was not perfect but when perfect everyone can show how good he is. Yellow card for Trent but it was a really good sign that he put in so many challenges on the wing.”

VALE CARLOS ALBERTO

Carlos Alberto, the revered captain of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning side, considered one of the greatest of all time, has died aged 72.

The right-back starred alongside Pele, Tostao, Jairzinho and Rivelino in the legendary Brazil team that beat Italy 4-1 in the 1970 final.

He scored one of the best World Cup goals in the Mexico City final, running onto a Pele pass and smashing in a thunderous right-footed shot.

“I am deeply saddened by the death of my friend and brother @capita70. Dear God, please take care of our ‘Capitao’ (captain). Rest In Peace,” said Pele in an emotionally-charged Twitter post alongside a black and white picture of Carlos Alberto comforting him as he cries.

Carlos Alberto died of a heart attack in Rio de Janeiro, according to Sportv, for whom he worked as a pundit. Tributes immediately poured in from around the world.

“An example of leadership both on and off the field, a great friend who always treated me with great affection,” former Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain star Ronaldinho said.

“Rest in peace eternal captain.”

Stars from the time such as Germany’s World Cup-winning captain and coach Franz Beckenbauer and clubs around the world from Manchester City and Arsenal in the Premier League to Brazil’s top sides all expressed sadness.