Gary Neville on Ferguson’s ‘intense’ Anfield hairdryer treatment

• Posted on October 10, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Gary Neville believes Anfield was the scene of Sir Alex Ferguson’s angriest moments as Manchester United manager.

The former United right-back sat down with fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher on ‘Gary Neville’s Soccerbox’ and looked back at some past matches against Liverpool.

And he said former boss Ferguson would often save his famous ‘hairdryer’ treatment for those fixtures because it meant so much to him.

“Sir Alex was always different around the big games,” Neville said. “He could be quite relaxed, particularly towards the end, around what I would call ‘normal’ games, but towards the Liverpool and City games he was always more intense.

“During the week, if you walked down the corridor before a big game he’d be like ‘hi son’, whereas in the normal games he’d be more chatty.

“He was different going into the big games and to be honest with you, the most consistently angry that I saw him.

“People talk about the hairdryer and it never happened that much to be honest with you during a season, but the most consistent place you would see it was Anfield – at half-time or the end of the game.

“He could not stand losing at Anfield – and if we won there, it didn’t matter how we played – it was like the best thing in the world.”

Neville explained that dressing room arguments were worse at Liverpool because the away changing room was so close to the home one.

But he explained that sometimes Ferguson wouldn’t speak to anybody after defeats at Anfield.

He added: “The worst I’ve ever seen him consistently was at Anfield if we were losing at half-time or at the end of the game.

“He’d sit there unmoved in the dressing room at the end of the game while everyone was getting showered for 25 minutes. Just not moving.

“Once when I was a kid, just travelling, I remember him having a massive row with Schmeichel and Ince in the changing room. It was unbelievable, just proper going for each other.

“We always knew as well that [Liverpool] could hear everything that was being said, probably laughing on the other side of the wall.”

-Sky Sports