MK Dons boss Paul Ince has slammed Tranmere Rovers for sacking manager John Barnes last week.

Ince, like Barnes a former Liverpool star, said in his column for the News of the World: "The writing was on the wall a couple of games back when I watched Tranmere against Walsall. It wasn't going too badly, Barnesy's lot looked like holding out for a point until Walsall got a late winner.

"Then about half-a-dozen Tranmere fans started having a go at the chairman, Peter Johnson, demanding he either backed or sacked John. When a chairman gets that kind of ultimatum, there's only ever going to be one outcome.

"So never mind Tranmere sold two or three of their best players in the summer. Forget the fact Barnesy was forced to mostly play kids. And also the fact the club didn't have a pot to p*** in... the manager has to go."