Paul Le Guen v Barry Ferguson The French coach had the temerity to ask his players to eat properly, stay off the booze and train hard.
Paul Le Guen v Barry Ferguson
The French coach had the temerity to ask his players to eat properly, stay off the booze and train hard.
A cabal of Scottish players, led by Barry Ferguson, did not much fancy this approach and a stand-off ensued. Le Guen dropped Ferguson for the 1-0 win over Motherwell on January 2, 2007. Kris Boyd scored the only goal then held up six fingers in salute to Ferguson - and all hell broke loose. In the stand-off between the talismanic captain and the under-achieving manager, there was to be only one winner. Le Guen departed, Ferguson stayed and the rest is history.
Lesson Player power can see a manager off the premises - if the manager can't buy a result.
Mark Viduka v John Barnes
One of the greatest huffs in Scottish football. With lowly Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2-1 up at Parkhead back in February 2000, Viduka decided to butt in to Barnes' team-talk by throwing his boots across the dressing room and announcing that he was not going back out for the second half. The Highlanders added another in the second period, Barnes was deemed to have lost the dressing room and promptly received his jotters. Viduka was sold to Leeds United five months later.
Lesson Viduka is a big wean.
Kris Boyd v George Burley
The Scotland manager was unimpressed by Boyd's performances in training and decided not to pick him. With Scotland huffing and puffing against Norway in October, Burley sent on Steven Fletcher and Chris Iwelumo, leaving Boyd languishing on the bench.
Iwelumo proceeded to blow a golden chance from three yards out and the game finished 0-0.
A disgusted Boyd then announced his retirement from international football while Burley was in charge, prompting an indignant response from the Scotland manager. If it was a boxing match, Burley probably shaded it on points.
Lesson No player is bigger than his country.
Gordon Strachan v Sir Alex Ferguson
Ferguson did not miss Strachan in his autobiography, claiming that the Celtic manager's desire to leave Aberdeen and then Manchester United led him to the conclusion that he "could not be trusted an inch".
Strachan duly responded in his book. "I know I made one or two mistakes in my dealings with him, but I feel there were mitigating circumstances.
"In any event, I would have thought that the service I gave him at Aberdeen and the numerous great moments we shared would have counted for more in his eyes than what he said about me in his book seemed to suggest."
However, the pair have since buried the hatchet and Strachan said in 2006 that they now have a cordial relationship.
Lesson Don't cross Sir Furious unless you are as thrawn as the man himself.
Roy Keane v Sir Alex Ferguson
The Manchester United manager had given his volatile captain one of the longest leashes he had given any player, but Keane finally took it too far.
In 2005, the Irishman was invited to Play the Pundit' in an interview with United's own television channel, MUTV, after the league defeat to Middlesbrough and proceeded to blast half the dressing room.
Darren Fletcher, Alan Smith, John O'Shea, Kieran Richardson and Liam Miller all got it in the neck. The episode led to Keane's departure soon after, ending a 12-year spell at Old Trafford and prompting the midfielder's move to Celtic.
Lesson Don't cross Sir Furious.
Terry Butcher v Graeme Souness
The then England captain was brought north by Souness and became his defensive pillar at Ibrox for four years. However, their relationship deteriorated near the end and the pair became embroiled in a bitter dispute with Butcher refusing to play for Souness. Butcher had a knee operation after the 1990 World Cup and believed he had been asked to perform for Rangers before he had regained full fitness. It turned into a stand-off which ended with Butcher leaving for Coventry as player-manager.
Lesson No-one is untouchable, even the England captain.
