We all say things we regret from time to time, especially when it comes to football.
Sir Alex Ferguson knows exactly what that feels like after a bizarre comment made about Newcastle in December 2012, which was his final season as Manchester United manager. The Scot called the Magpies a "wee club" after a 4-3 win at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
Ferguson also raged at then Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, labelling him as the "worst" manager for "haranguing referees". Ferguson was later forced to apologise for his comments, but Newcastle have struggled to shrug off that humbling "wee club" tag.
The war of words between Ferguson and Pardew unfolded after United's thrilling victory at Old Trafford. The visitors took the lead three times, but Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez's last-minute winner snatched the points for Ferguson's side.
Ferguson would've been delighted and relieved with the victory, as it sent his team seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table. United eventually won the title by 11 points to give Ferguson a fairy-tale ending to his successful Old Trafford career.
Yet Pardew wasn't pleased with his team's loss. He accused Ferguson of putting pressure on referee Mike Dean and wanted to see the United boss sent off. Pardew told reporters: "I think Mike Dean might feel slightly disappointed he didn't do something about it.
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"I think the pressure that was on him was tough for a referee to take. Sometimes when you reflect on a game you think you might have acted differently. You do that as a manager and I think he might have done that as a referee.
"But it's an emotional game and apparently they had a cordial discussion. I've had a few of those myself and sometimes I've ended up in the stands as a result of that cordial discussion."
Pardew had poked the bear, as they say. Ferguson was furious with the Newcastle manager's comments and made his feelings known in his next press conference. He replied: "I was demonstrative but I was not out of order.
"The press have had a field day. The only person they have not spoken to is [US president] Barack Obama because he is busy. It is unfortunate but I am the manager of the most famous club in the world. Not Newcastle, a wee club in the north east.
"I was demonstrative. I am always demonstrative. Everyone knows that. I am an emotional guy. But I was not abusive. I shouted Mike over. We walked towards each other. I was only on [the pitch] three or four yards. That has been overplayed.
"The problem for me is that the profile of this club is huge. Alan Pardew has come out and criticised me. He is the worst at haranguing referees. He shoves them and makes a joke of it. How he can criticise me is unbelievable. He forgets the help I gave him, by the way."
Ferguson's comments on Pardew and vice versa were all part of the theatre of Premier League football, but his "wee club" remark touched a nerve. Newcastle fans regard their club as one of the biggest in the land due to their substantial and passionate following.
Newcastle regularly sell out St James' Park - a stadium that holds more than 52,000 spectators - and away ends. Yet success on the pitch hasn't come naturally to them, as they haven't won a major trophy since their Inter-Cities Fairs Cup triumph in 1969.
Ferguson knew he had crossed the line and soon apologised. He said: "It was never my intention to belittle Newcastle fans. I want to clear up any misunderstanding that may have arisen over what I said. I have nothing but the highest regard for Newcastle fans and I always have had. They are up there with the best supporters in the game.
"Their passion, commitment and fervour have never wavered, even though they have had little to celebrate. They have turned up in numbers to get behind their team wherever and whenever the games have been played.
"When I take a team to St James' Park, I have stressed to the players that not only have they got to beat the opposition on the field, just as important is coping with the atmosphere created by the fans. Sadly, results have not matched their loyalty.
"If Newcastle's achievements had matched the support of the people who pay to watch them play, the club would be among the game's giants. It's tragic that they haven't been able to win a league title for over eighty years."
Perhaps that's a lesson for any Premier League boss this Boxing Day. Feel free to criticise a fellow manager, but don't dare call another club little (or "wee" in this instance). It'll only end in an apology and some unwanted Christmas tension during the festivities.
