RYAN GIGGS - Fergie still rages but these days we police ourselves
THE ferocious spirit and will to win Sir Alex Ferguson has instilled in Manchester United will pump around the home dressing room today.
The man himself does not physically have to be there - his trusted lieutenants will ensure nobody is left in any doubt as to what is expected of them against Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Ferguson makes his entrance shortly before the two teams make their way to the tunnel. There will be a quiet word for every player, a quick recap of tactics and then a reminder of what's at stake in this title showdown.
The hard work has been done by the dressing-room leaders, with Ryan Giggs taking centre stage in the build-up.
The flying boot in David Beckham's face, Roy Keane in meltdown and his own bust-ups with Ferguson - Giggs has seen it all in his 20 years at Old Trafford.
That includes verbal assaults at half-time team-talks, finger-pointing and even the occasional fight in the team's inner sanctum.
While Ferguson remains the most demanding and daunting of figures, it's the players who have learnt at his knee who command as much respect.
You can be a foreigner and quickly become a leader but you must prove your worth on the pitch
And it's those players who embody Ferguson's relentless appetite for success.
"Paul Scholes and myself are the leaders. We are respected," Giggs said. "Scholesy doesn't have to say much, he's the silent leader.
"In a different way, there are the talkers - Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic. They take care of the atmosphere.
"You can be a foreigner and quickly become a leader but you must prove your worth on the pitch and you have to remember that football is a team game. You have a job to do, otherwise everything falls apart.
"In January, when Blackpool were beating us 2-0, it didn't need the manager to say anything. We just said, 'Come on, we've already been behind 2-0, against Villa, and came back'. That was enough to get us back in it."
Giggs has seen the dynamics in the dressing room change over the years with the departure of the volatile Keane and, most recently, Gary Neville.
But they have been replaced with characters strong enough to take up the mantle. Even the usually mild-mannered Welshman has had his meltdown moments, as he explained: "When it's tense in the dressing room, you accept it as part of the job.
"Once at half-time of the Champions League clash at Juventus in 1996 the manager wasn't happy with my performance and I responded to him.
"I threw away a bottle of fruit juice. He didn't like it and he liked it even less when he saw his trousers and shoes had been stained. He took me off and fined me."
At United, the toughest opponent for any player is his team-mates. Whether it's using the mobile, listening to iPods, forgetting to wear the club blazer or falling short on the pitch, you will be reminded in no uncertain terms.
With Chelsea's unexpected arrival on the inside track, Giggs believes the extraordinary, unofficial disciplinary code that governs the squad will play its part in keeping the club at the summit of the domestic and European game.
Jordi Cruyff used to say he preferred Barcelona's methods. It didn't help him in the dressing room
"When a player arrives for a game, he must not be talking on the phone, sending texts, or listening to music. Everybody knows that," he said.
"In the dressing room or bus, it's tolerated, but not between the two. As soon as you are in public, you must behave. The blazer is mandatory.
"Those are basic rules that sometimes you have to repeat. They are so obvious to us that the boss doesn't even have to talk to the player who makes a mistake, he knows we will be doing it.
"The players make sure everyone respects the rules.
"Your behaviour is also monitored closely. The dressing room accepts you if you produce what's expected of you.
"I remember Jordi Cruyff being asked to both attack and defend. He didn't like it and used to say he preferred Barcelona's methods. It didn't help him in the dressing room.
"Another part of my advice to the young players is about the way they dress.
"The dressing room is very tough on this. You can get a lot stick quickly. From time to time, we try to trap the new boys, the young ones especially.
"During summer tours, I sometimes tell them to go and ask the coach to be allowed to go out at night.
"They don't dare say no, so they go and request permission. But, these days, the manager knows that we have played a trick on them.
"Most managers at all levels of football will tell you that the atmosphere in the dressing room is key to producing top performances on the pitch."
Beckham shouted "I'm bleeding, f***ing hell" and he ran at the manager
Even when Ferguson accidently kicked a boot at Beckham after a home defeat to the Gunners in 2003, United recovered their form in the league and went on to overhaul Arsene Wenger's side in the title race.
Giggs recalled: "I remember when the manager kicked that boot at David Beckham. We had just lost 2-0 at home to Arsenal in the FA Cup and he was angry.
"He had a go at several of us, then he turned to David. The boss was livid. He told David that he didn't track back for their second goal. David replied. The boss then kicked a boot.
"I was sat next to David, as usual, and for a second I thought that I was going to be hit in the face. Then I saw blood running down his face.
"David shouted 'I'm bleeding, f***ing hell' and he ran at the manager. I tried to stop him, but couldn't, he was so mad.
"Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gary Neville, thankfully, managed to stop him. It was the first time it had gone so far.
"Gary was the loudest player in the dressing room, just ahead of Roy Keane. I remember when Leverkusen knocked us out of the Champions League in 2002, Keane had a go at his team-mates, saying we were not giving enough.
"He was right, but maybe he was trying to motivate himself. It gave him the feeling of helping the club. He was getting rid of his frustration."
United can take a huge step towards regaining the Premier League title today with victory over Chelsea, who they knocked out of the Champions League.
And Giggs added: "We'll go into the game on a high after reaching the Champions League Final.
"If we had been knocked out by Schalke it would have been doom and gloom. Our form is good and so is Chelsea's but at Old Trafford we always fancy ourselves.
"Last season, if we had even drawn the home game against them we would have won the title. This time, if we play well, I think we'll win."
Поздрав.
)
Ja постирав пошо бара да се регистрираш за да читаш, али како и да е денес дозволено е и помалце спамирање.