Sir Alex Ferguson has lifted the lid on his no-nonsense approach towards player power and revealed that from the very beginning at Manchester United nobody would be stronger than he was.
In a fascinating report for Harvard Business School that may go some way to explaining the reported deterioration in his relationship with star striker Wayne Rooney, Ferguson speaks openly about his management methods.
He said: 'Before I came to United, I told myself I wasn't going to allow anyone to be stronger than I was. Your personality has to be bigger than theirs. That is vital.
There are occasions when you have to ask yourself whether certain players are affecting the dressing-room atmosphere, the performance of the team and your control of the players and staff. If they are, you have to cut the cord. There is absolutely no other way. It doesn't matter if the person is the best player in the world.'
In 2011, Harvard professors visited Manchester to interview Ferguson at length on his managerial methods and philosophies, before the former United boss travelled to Boston in 2012 to provide students with a first-hand insight into his techniques.
This study ran alongside the unravelling of his working relationship with Rooney, who became disgruntled towards the end of last season after he was regularly substituted and often asked to play out of position, either in central midfield or on the wing.
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