Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he would probably be “in jail” if he managed in the modern game, according to former player Gordon Strachan.
Sir Alex Ferguson was known for his demanding approach throughout his managerial career. He could put an arm around a player’s shoulder when needed, but he was equally capable of delivering the famous “hairdryer treatment” when standards were not met.
Gordon Strachan experienced that side of Ferguson during their time together at Aberdeen, Scotland and Manchester United. The former midfielder had already been at Dundee before Ferguson arrived at Aberdeen, but he quickly noticed a major difference in the manager’s approach.
Strachan said Ferguson changed the way the Aberdeen players viewed competition and winning. The players believed they were competitive because they argued with referees, shouted at each other and showed plenty of emotion.
Ferguson, according to Strachan, challenged that attitude.
He wanted the players to prove their competitiveness on the pitch rather than simply talk about it. Strachan explained that Ferguson made them understand that being a competitor meant performing when the pressure was highest.
Gordon Strachan recalls Sir Alex Ferguson’s ruthless methods
Strachan also described Ferguson as a bully, although he made clear that the manager’s methods were designed to bring more out of his players.
“He was a bully, to be honest with you. When I spoke to him recently and I said how would you be in management now, he went, ‘I’d be in jail, son!’” Strachan said while talking to Daily Star Sport.
The former Scotland international said Ferguson’s approach could be brutal because he was prepared to tell players the truth directly. He also made them understand that their responsibilities extended beyond their teammates and into their family life and the people watching them.
Strachan believes Ferguson was effectively preparing players for moments when their character would be tested.
He said players could either be broken down by Ferguson’s methods or come out stronger. The manager wanted to discover what they could produce when they were under pressure rather than simply looking at their personalities away from football.
For Strachan, that became a major part of Ferguson’s influence.
Sir Alex Ferguson management style changed the players’ lifestyle
According to Strachan, Ferguson’s demands did not stop when training ended. Everything surrounding football had to be geared towards being ready for the next match.
Sleep, fitness and even the players’ social lives became part of the preparation. Strachan said family life had to take a back seat because of the standards required to become a competitive footballer.
Before Ferguson arrived, he felt being a footballer largely meant turning up at the training ground and doing the job there. Ferguson changed that mentality completely.
The Aberdeen players were expected to build their entire lifestyle around preparing for Saturday’s game.
Strachan also stressed that Ferguson did not simply demand that his teams win every match. Instead, he made the players afraid of being beaten and pushed them to show their real character on the pitch.
That mentality became one of the defining features of Ferguson’s management style and, for Strachan, helped transform the players he worked with.
