‘The Hairdryer Is Part Of The Myth &The Circus’

Fergie -not as angry as he used to be

Sir Alex Ferguson had been showing his softer side to the press by admitting that he no longer adhere’s to the ‘throwing cups of tea’ and ‘hairdyer treatment’ style of management.

The Mail notes:

In a rare moment of self-reflection, he [Ferguson] said: ‘It’s my own make up. I like to see myself in all of my players and that is somewhat obsessive. I’m driven. I don’t like losing

‘It’s been instilled through the years. It becomes a normal situation when players come into the squad and say “I’d better be like the rest or I won’t be here too long”. It’s driven by me, of course.

‘When I started at 32, I made sure I wasn’t going to fail in this job but I’ve mellowed. Maybe I’ve got a short fuse but it goes away quicker.

‘I switch off quite quickly now. When I was younger, dealing with people away from the game was difficult. At Aberdeen, my assistant Archie Knox and I would find a corner of the pub but someone would come over and voice an opinion, which wouldn’t go down well.

‘Now I just go straight home and what’s really important is the post-match drinks with visiting coaches. We never talk about the game because it’s gone. You accept it. It’s about dealing with people with the same problems as yourself, the same anxieties, the same feelings of losing.’ 

‘There’s a lot of myth attached to that. In training there’s nothing but praise for every player. Nothing but positives.

Ferguson was asked about his reputation as a firebrand and the infamous hairdryer treatment, as well as comments from former United favourite David Beckham recently that the players live in fear of their manager.

‘Where David and other people are coming from is how I react to defeat, which is not easy for me. I don’t think I should change. I don’t like people who change. I think you should stick by your nature. But after it’s over it’s over. I never go back. Tomorrow is another day for me.

‘The hairdryer is part of the myth and the circus. It’s completely exaggerated, like throwing the tea cups.

‘But I’m a confrontational character and I don’t like people arguing back to me. I think that’s where the hairdryer treatment came from.’

Let’s hope the United boss hasn’t mellowed too much, after all it’s that deisre and determination which has made him the most successful manager in British football history.

Follow Red Flag Flying High on Twitter and on Facebook