He'd never actually admit to it, but
Sir Alex Ferguson is more open to suggestions about Manchester United's
tactics than you might think. So
when an 80-year-old gran from Rochdale turned the 'hairdryer' on the
manager during a TV phone-in, Fergie had no choice but to listen.
Margaret,
as the caller was known, blasted United's 'winger-less' midfield
formation in the midweek Champions League match over Braga.
She called the diamond set-up
favoured by Ferguson in the 3-2 win 'stupid' and said she could have a
heart attack if United keep having to come from behind in games.
And
Fergie was obviously listening, because the diamond was ditched for
Sunday’s 3-2 win at Chelsea in favour of a conventional line of four. Margaret
rang United's in-house television station, MUTV, where former players
David May and Quinton Fortune were hosting a Thursday night chat show.
And despite United coming from two goals down to win against Braga, Margaret was not amused.'Please don't play the diamond at Chelsea,' she said. 'If you want me to have a word with the manager, I will.
'I’ve seen every good player you’ve ever had. And they weren’t that stupid, giving goals away, at the beginning.'Have
you not noticed all the goals you're giving away are when you're
playing that stupid diamond position? We have to go back to playing
normally and catch up.'
When
May, who made gate-crashing Champions League celebrations cool long
before John Terry, started bantering with her, she turned the barrels on
him.
'It isn't entertaining when you're 80 years old to watch goals going in from the other side,' said Margaret.'I don't like it. It's going to give me a heart attack and I’m 80. You wouldn't like to give me a heart attack. 'I have an opinion and it's certainly not the diamond. They don't know what to do - they run around like lost sheep.'
Ferguson
even mentioned Margaret’s scathing comments in his press conference
before the Chelsea game, promising to drop the diamond.
'I'd better not upset her,' he said. 'Did you hear her on MUTV? She's 80, phoned up and said "I'm fed up watching this diamond".
'She said "Tell that manager to stop playing that diamond". So I better not play it.'
And Margaret might expect a direct line to the manager now, after United's win at Stamford Bridge.
