Hairdryer is turned off now
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INCE, one of those who has experienced the famous hairdryer treatment.
PAUL INCE believes the current Manchester United squad are lucky that Alex Ferguson has turned down his famous hairdryer. Former Old Trafford favourite Ince goes up against his ex-manager for the first time when his Blackburn side host the champions today.
The Guvnor reckons the class of 2008 are treated with kid gloves by Fergie compared to the ferocious treatment dished out in his day. But the Rovers boss maintains the Scot is the best manager there has ever been and was the only man who could have controlled him and his chippy team-mates.
Ince left United 1995 after a bust-up with the boss. But he said: “In the 1993-94 season, Fergie must have fallen out with every one of that United squad. “Has he changed over the years? I don’t see them on the training ground or in the changing room. “But every manager has to change, especially the old school, because the game has changed. You have to evolve with it. Alex has taken that on board. “I don’t think he uses the hairdryer as much as he used to but I’m not sure you can be like that any more.”
Fergie needed to be strong to keep the likes of Ince, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona and Peter Schmeichel under control back in the 1990s. Ince won two Premier Leagues, two FA Cups and a League Cup in his time at United.
He added: “In our time, you had big egos, big characters. Fergie could absolutely rollock us and knew that he’d get a response. “With today’s footballers you have to be a little bit more careful. “If we felt we were right, we’d chip back. When you have egos and characters, they clash.
“Ours was a team which no other boss in the world could have controlled. They were such strong characters. “For him to deal with 13 or 14 big strong personalities and opinions, to get them to win the Prem for the first time, shows how great he is.”