Former Manchester United star Nemanja Vidic has opened up on a key shift in Sir Alex Ferguson’s management technique.
Vidic played at Old Trafford for nine glorious seasons, playing 300 games and winning multiple trophies.
The Serbian captained the side and formed a crucial half of the incredible defensive partnership between himself and Rio Ferdinand.
He left the club in 2014, joining Inter Milan, before retiring in the 2015-16 season.
Lack of Ferguson relationship
In an interview with Gary Neville on Sky Sports’ The Overlap show, Vidic surprisingly revealed that he did not have a close relationship with his former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Owing to the massive success the two shared together, fans might have assumed the two would have got on like a house on fire.
Nonetheless, he claimed, “with the manager, I never had a close relationship. If he asked me something I would tell him, but I never had that [relationship]. Rio [Ferdinand] or Fletch [Darren Fletcher] would talk more.”
Cristiano Ronaldo effect
During the 1980s and 1990s, Ferguson’s famous “hair dryer treatment” was widely spoken about in the media.
This was the manager’s habit of laying into players in the dressing room at half-time and full-time if he felt they had let down the side.
Vidic hinted that Ferguson learned that he could not use this method with everyone at the club and had adapted his methods by the 2000s.
Commenting on the issue he stated, “what he realised – it’s not that he didn’t shout at me because he was scared of anyone, but he realised that with certain players, it would not help if he’s shouting.”
Pinpointing the exact moment this changed, Vidic asserted, “I think he changed that after he shouted at Cristiano Ronaldo.”
He went on to defend his view by stating, “I don’t think Ronaldo took it well – maybe good for the English and British players, but he was careful with the foreign players.”
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Alex Browne
Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.
