Vidic not the first to fall foul of Ferguson

Nemanja Vidic appears to have drawn the wrath of Sir Alex Ferguson following his withdrawal from Manchester United’s squad to play AC Milan last night, despite having been involved in full training for ten days prior to the fixture, with a summer exit from Old Trafford seemingly on the cards. However, he will not be the first to have departed in somewhat accrimonious circumstances.

Many players who have got themselves on the wrong side of the United manager, who has a reputation as a strict disciplinarian, have been moved on with ruthless efficiency. However, their departures have been strictly on Ferguson’s terms and Vidic’s case is likely to be no different come the summer. Here is our look at who else has got Sir Alex’s back up in recent times:

Paul Ince
Relations were always frosty between Ince and Ferguson, who labelled the former West Ham player “a bottler” and “a big-time Charlie”. These are comments which Ferguson later went on to say he regretted. However, his decision to sell Ince to Inter Milan for £7.5 million in 1995 was hardly a surprise, although it caused much discontent amongst the United fans at the time.

David Beckham
Ferguson’s relationship with Beckham deteriorated in the early 2000s as it became clear he disapproved of his commitments outside of football and the influence his wife had on him. Matters famously came to a head in February 2003 when following FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, Feguson kicked a boot in the dressing room which cut Beckham above the eye. Sold to Real Madrid that summer.

Diego Forlan
Back in August 2004 when United played Chelsea in the Champions League group stage, Forlan defied Ferguson’s orders to wear interchangeable long studs and instead opted for his preferred shorter stud. Coming on as a 71st minute substitute, the Uruguay striker slipped in front of goal. He tried to hide his disobedience by rushing to the dressing room after to change boots, but Ferguson found out. It was Forlan’s last game for United.

Roy Keane
The former United stalwart left Old Trafford by mutual consent in November 2005 following comments on MUTV which did not meet with Ferguson’s approval. Following a 4-1 defeat by Middlesbrough, he openly criticised four senior players, whilst questioning the value of club record signing Rio Ferdinand. The interview was pulled from transmission and Keane’s departure followed shortly after.

Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rumours of a rift between the Dutch striker and his manager arose when Ferguson elected to leave him on the bench for the 2006 League Cup final against Wigan. He remained a substitute for six consecutive league matches, with the final straw being his omission from the starting line up for the final league game of the season. He allegedly stormed out of the stadium before kick-off and was subsequently sold to Real Madrid.

Gabriel Heinze
With starting opportunities becoming limited at Old Trafford, Heinze somewhat boldly launched a legal battle in an effort to secure a move to bitter rivals Liverpool. Ferguson was particularly incensed by the fact that the Argentinean defender hired Liverpool’s own solicitors to fight his case for a transfer to Anfield. Not one to be bullyed into selling a key player to a close competitor, Ferguson later sold Heinze to Real Madrid.

February 17, 2010