How did Sir Alex Ferguson handle the issue of "insiders" at MU?

Leaking of internal information has been a persistent problem for MU over the years, but it was very rare during Sir Alex Ferguson's era.

Leaks of internal information have become all too familiar at MU in recent years, and despite many efforts, the Red Devils have yet to stop this issue. Coach Amorim even hinted that his tactical adjustments were revealed too early after the Bournemouth match.

However, during the 23-year reign of Sir Alex Ferguson, MU rarely experienced internal information leaks. In an exclusive interview with SPORTbible, MU legend Ryan Giggs revealed how the club dealt with such leaks.

“I remember once he confiscated the entire squad’s phones, I think it was before the match against Man City. In the previous game, the lineup was leaked, so before announcing the squad, he took everyone's phones away. We only got them back after the match. Those were the measures he took to eliminate any negative factors.”.

Giggs spent over 20 years under Ferguson’s management. Although they occasionally had disagreements, the former Welsh midfielder confirmed he always had utmost respect for his former coach and his team management skills.

“One of the greatest strengths of the manager was his communication skills,” Giggs added. “Twitter started emerging towards the end of his coaching career. He saw the initial impact of social media, although it wasn’t as big as it is now. From the start of each season, he clearly laid out the rules. Anyone who broke them would be punished, plain and simple. Players always knew their place and limits.”.

In recent years, the Man United dressing room has been rife with reports of internal conflicts, accompanied by leaked lineups and negative stories in the media. Recently, players like Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Kobbie Mainoo are said to have openly clashed with current coach Ruben Amorim. Even Mainoo’s brother was spotted wearing a shirt printed with “Free Kobbie Mainoo” during the 4-4 draw with Bournemouth last week.

However, Giggs doubts that such public disputes would ever occur under Ferguson’s leadership, partly due to his clear-cut “black and white” management style and partly because of the severe consequences players faced if they crossed the line.

Giggs concluded: “I’m not sure players back then would dare do what’s happening nowadays because everyone understood the consequences. People knew he had full authority to drop players. If it were me, I’d be extremely cautious with social media under Sir Alex. Everything was very clear-cut. Just one wrong comment about him, teammates, or the club, and you would definitely be punished.”.