Sports

Ex-Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson says he couldn’t get away with ‘hairdryer’ treatment today because stars would cry

SIR ALEX FERGUSON admitted he wouldn’t get away with dishing out his infamous “hairdryer” blasts today because snowflake footballers have been known to cry.

The Manchester United legend was renowned for his close-up screaming and spitting outbursts – including infamously injuring David Beckham’s eye.

Sir Alex Ferguson was known for, at times, having a fierce temperCredit: AP

Even former England captain Wayne Rooney and United legend Cristiano Ronaldo weren’t immune to Fergie’s fury.

But the Scot now bemoans the fact today’s managers are restricted from using his fearsome motivational weapon because society has changed and players have become too sensitive.

The 81-year-old told The Athletic in 2021: “Jim Smith told me one of his players started crying when he got criticised.

“I thought, ‘What is the game like now? Where are we going?’

“Obviously you have to be tactful nowadays about the criticism you give them.”

Fergie was known for going right up to players’ faces and kicking items around during both individual and team-wide “hairdryer” rants.

And he’s held up his hands to the most infamous outburst – when he kicked a boot which hit Beckham’s eye after the winger swore following an FA Cup defeat against Arsenal.

Ronaldo ended up getting stick from his team-mates after bursting into tears after being on the receiving end of a “hairdryer” – a word Fergie hated when it was first coined.

The 13-time Premier League-winning manager said: “I didn’t like it at the time.

“But now you have to admit the comedy part.

“I could be really angry or volatile, but it was over and the players knew that and never brought it up again.

“They never bore a grudge.

“It was all over in the dressing room.

“The more important part is to tell the truth.”

Fergie often gave his players and officials his infamous hairdryer treatmentCredit: GETTY

But the Scot doesn’t believe he could use it todayCredit: GETTY

Soυrce: thesun

Related Posts

COMPLETE Super Rugby Pacific 2025 squads: Reds add Crusaders back, Suli, Petaia and young gun leave as all 11 lineups confirmed

Wallabies Suliasi Vunivalu and Jordan Petaia as well as young backline prospect Floyd Aubrey have left the Queensland Reds as the squads for all 11 clubs were confirmed…

Springboks show champion qualities as Cheslin Kolbe scores twice to beat England and pile more pressure on Steve Borthwick

The Springboks showed their world champion qualities to withstand a competitive England performance and take a 29-20 victory at Allianz Stadium on Saturday. It increases the pressure on…

Darcy Graham equals try record as Scotland post dominant win over Portugal

Winger Darcy Graham equalled the record for the most tries for Scotland as they ran in a total of nine in a dominant 59-21 victory over Portugal in…

‘Whirlwind’, ‘not ideal’: Why Suaalii was benched and Schmidt is more nervous about Wales clash than England

Aweek after naming Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in the midfield for his run-on Test, Joe Schmidt pulled yet another surprise by shifting the new Wallabies star to the bench. The…

France edge the All Blacks in Paris thriller as Scott Robertson’s side lose unbeaten tour record

France handed Scott Robertson his first defeat in six as they made it three successive victories over the All Blacks following a 30-29 success in Paris. In another…

Springboks’ Erasmus hails ‘special’ Kolbe after England try double

South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus paid tribute to the s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 and composure of Cheslin Kolbe after the wing scored two tries in the world champions’ 29-20 win over…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *