Those who've fallen foul of Ferguson - the top XI…
Karel Poborsky has joined the long list of people to have fallen out with genial Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson down the years. Obviously a complete rundown would take up even more space than the internet which is virtually infinite would allow. These, then, are the first XI of Fergie’s fall-outs, the tip of a tiff iceberg:
1) Kenny Dalglish Following a 3-3 draw at Anfield the United oberfuhrer was being interviewed live on radio. Dalglish walked by cradling his infant daughter in his arms. "What are you doing talking to him?" asked Kenny, clearly none too pleased with the afternoon's proceedings, "you'd get more sense out of my baby!"
2) Kevin Keegan In the run-in to the 1996/97 season, Ferguson mounted an amateur psycho-war against title rivals Newcastle. The result? Keegan went off the deep end on telly, and his players used their manager's evident tension to lob the title toward Old Trafford. Job done, Alex.
3) Andy Gray Following the ridiculous non-award of a penalty to Barnsley in this season's FA Cup tie at the self-appointed Theatre Of Dreams, Andy had the utter cheek to say that United, maybe, just maybe, tend to get the rub of the green on their home patch. In his own special, red-faced, way Fergie "sought clarification" of Gray's views.
4) Alan Green BBC commentator opines that Roy Keane is "a thug", a comment for which he quickly apologises. Fergie again "seeks clarification".
5) Alan Hansen Another BBC type who fell out with the great man of peace. After United opened the 95/96 season with a 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa, Alan reckoned that Fergie couldn't win anything with kids". Some felt their antipathy may have had something to do with Ferguson's decision, when in charge of the 1986 Scottish World Cup squad, to leave Europe's best centre back out of the squad, in favour of loads of blokes Fergie used to manage at Aberdeen.
6) Paul Ince The robust midfielder appointed himself ‘The Guv'nor’. The ever-sensitive Scot bridled at having the manager's traditional title usurped. When the chance came to buy "the Guv'nor" back from Inter, a deafening silence came from the direction of Old Trafford.
7) Andrei Kanchelskis Relations between the manager and the flying Ukrainian winger reached such a low point that the latter's agent threatened to have the manager's pitch-side bench "blown up".
8) Norman Whiteside United legend sold to break up the Whiteside/Paul McGrath/Bryan Robson cold drinks club.
9) Arsene Wenger The specky Arsenal manager refused to let Ferguson extend the 1996/7 season until some unspecified time that suited United. Fergie "sought clarification".
10) Swiss Watches All watches really. Fergie seems to have it in for all time-pieces that don't indicate full time if United are ahead, 15 minutes to play if United are behind, or, if the teams are level, just enough minutes left for United to grab a winner.
11) Paul Bosvelt The Feyenoord player who crocked Dennis Irwin in the Champions League this season. Lip readers confirm that as Bosvelt left the pitch, Alex wished him all the best with the old Scottish greeting, "you scumbag, you ratbag, you dirty bastard".
