On New Year’s eve 80 years ago, one of the best manager in the world was born – sir Alex Ferguson. The Scotsman was a player (forward) and a manager, and his years with East Stirlingshire, St Mirren, Aberdeen, Scotland and Manchester United will be remembered forever. After 39 years in the business, the Scot accumulated 17 league titles, 15 domestic cup wins and 8 European trophies. During that time, he coached numerous players and changed his coaching staff in order to successfully adapt to game changes. You drink with sir Alex? You better avoid a police carHe is also remembered for his dealings with players and one of the most famous things he did was to give a player a ‘hairdryer’. Mark Hughes is credited with introducing the ‘hairdryer’ into the football lexicon. The Welsh striker had flowing locks during his Manchester United days, locks presumably blown forcefully backwards whenever his manager Sir Alex Ferguson unleashed one of those ferocious, close-range blasts of opinion that passed into legend. ‘Sir Alex was unprofessional so I just hung up the phone’One of many players to receive ‘hairdryer’ was striker Louis Saha, just after two games. He did scored two goals before half-time against Everton, but missed two good chances and it was enough for Fergie to go mad at him. “He was really on my case and lashed out. I barely understood his accent! I entered another dimension of management about what the result means. I realised I had to do more. It was done in such a way that I understood it. If you shout at senior players like Ryan Giggs or Roy Keane, it means a youngster can get a b******ing as well! He just wanted me to progress and I could take on those things within a group or individually” recalls Saha.Sir Alex hated seeing sky blue in the Man United dressing room – it almost cost van Nistelrooy his Old Trafford careerThe Frenchman also pointed out at one of Fergie’s strengths: dealing with people. “Sometimes managers disregard the staff. ‘They think they are bigger and they don’t say hello to those guys. It was completely the opposite. He said hello to everyone: the cleaner, kitchen staff, the manager, the players, their families and kids. As players, we would have to act the same way or you’re out. He was an example as a manager, coach but also a man” said Saha. Sir Alex confesses: Henry’s arrival at Arsenal turned my rivalry with Wenger toxicAnother Frenchman also got the ‘hairdryer’ treatment from sir Alex, but spoke great of him. Mikael Silvestre stayed at the club for 9 years and played 361 games for the Red Devils, but after just two games, he felt the wrath of the Scotsman. The French defender made an error which cost United two points at home to Southampton and sir Alex was furious. “’If you do that again, I’ll send you back to France,’ Fergie told me. You progress when you have the hairdryer. ‘Most of the time he will be right, even when he was wrong! In the end you get better. So the players that took it well, reacted – and made sure it wouldn’t happen again” explained Silvestre.Nani: ‘Sir Alex Ferguson allowed players to arrive at training drunk’Sometimes, his wraths were not so productive or have been simply out of order. After rows with David Beckham and Roy Keane, both players left the club and there was also one incident with Steve Bruce, who played the game while his wife had a back operation. “Steve Bruce’s wife Janet was in hospital having a back operation and we were playing at Old Trafford. Brucey left his mobile phone on during the game. We came in at half-time and things weren’t going well. So we are sitting in the dressing room and Steve’s phone goes off. We are all sitting there wondering whose it was. I knew it wasn’t me and I knew it wasn’t Denis Irwin as his phone was never switched on. Big Pete Schmeichel straight away as normal was like “it wasn’t me” and maybe his eyes are giving away who it was. Everything went quiet and you just looked at Brucey and his face and persona said “it was me”. The gaffer has run across, grabbed the phone, had a go at Steve, who had a go back trying to tell him his wife was in hospital. He said: “I don’t care if your wife is in hospital” and threw the phone against the wall towards the bin. Smashed the phone” recalled former United player Paul Parker.
