'Sir Alex Ferguson always wanted confrontation – he picked on four Man Utd players'
Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United hairdryer treatments were well-renowned, and four players in particular apparently faced the brunt of his frustrations.
The iconic Scotsman was well-known for his hardened managerial tactics (Image: Getty)
Legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson loved confrontation, says Peter Schmeichel – and he used to pick on certain players, including his captain. Ferguson is arguably the greatest manager to grace the Premier League. A cabinet filled with 13 league titles, a pair of Champions League crowns and five FA Cup trophies makes for some reading.
Such a career was not put together with kindness, however, and the iconic Scot was well-known for his aggressive approach both on the field and off it – often ripping into players during half-time team talks, especially during his early tenure.
Legendary Danish goalkeeper Schmeichel, who played nearly 400 times under Ferguson, has come clean about the manager's antics and the specific cohort he used to lay into more than any other.
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“What I learned very quickly was that Sir Alex Ferguson needed an out,” Schmeichel admitted alongside former team-mate Gary Neville on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
“Very often it was in games where things were going well, or he needed something off his chest. He had certain players that he would do that to.
“I was one of them, Gary Pallister was one of them and Roy Keane was one of them. Ryan [Giggs] was also one of them. It would have been brutal to watch but you were allowed to talk back as a player. He wanted that confrontation because it was shaking things up. He wanted that.
“What I learned from him was that 95% of everything he said was by design and he was thinking about it and was waiting for the opportunity to say that. He would pick those moments and once it happened, gone.”
Schmeichel has admitted he would often face Ferguson's wrath (Image: Getty)
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Schmeichel helped himself to 15 major trophies under Ferguson during a glittering eight-year spell between the sticks in Manchester – a testament to the Scotsman’s managerial ability. But he wasn’t the only member of the world-beating United teams of old who had something to say about their head coach.
Long-time Red Devils skipper and Schmeichel’s team-mate Neville also put forward his piece on Ferguson’s attitude. The English full-back, now a pundit for Sky Sports, took to Old Trafford for a staggering 20 illustrious years and described Ferguson's approach to management as one that calmed with time.
“When I was travelling with the team around that time and when I first broke into the team, Sir Alex Ferguson would have a go at players sometimes,” Neville added.
“He was more ferocious in those early 90’s compared to the late 90’s. More international players came and certainly in the 2000’s in was different again.”
