Roy Keane, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney were among countless Man Utd stars to fight fire with fire during the glory years under their iconic Scottish manager.
Sir Alex Ferguson would famously give Manchester United players the hairdryer treatment in an attempt to draw more from them on the pitch, but there were also times when the legendary manager ramped up the setting to 11 behind the scenes, and certain working relationships became stretched as a result.United made two things habitual during the 1990s and 2000s in particular when Sir Alex was at the helm; winning trophies and bust-ups.
That infamous interview with MUTV in 2005 following an alarming defeat to Middlesbrough - in which Keane was not even on the teamsheet due to injury - lit the dynamite stick and an almighty explosion naturally followed. The exact ins and outs have been told, contested and speculated on for almost two decades now, but within a month Keane's contract was terminated.
Before he was booted, physically and figuratively, Beckham enjoyed a similar dynamic with Sir Alex and they have, seemingly, patched up more than Beckham's left eyebrow since. "I was there in the dressing room that day and, let's put things right, it was not a good shot, because the boot first hit a table and, only then, it went in Beckham's direction. Sir Alex, I'm very sorry, but your left foot was not quite as good as you think!"
Keane revolted, Beckham softened and Van Nistelrooy apologised. Added to Stam, Ince and Schmeichel, they all suffered the same fate at the time and clashing with Sir Alex was the beginning of the end for most, but one man who needs no introduction - Wayne Rooney - side-stepped a one-way fare out of Manchester.
"It was all quick [the transfer request] and something that I regret now... Decisions were getting made on emotions rather than sitting down and thinking them through."
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