When Ruud Gullit dropped Newcastle legend Rob Lee, conspiracy theorists lined up to suggest he was the victim of the Dutchman's committed agenda to destroy Alan Shearer. As the England captain's friend, Lee would inevitably be in the firing line. But in truth - according to Lee himself - he and Gullit clashed on how the team should be run, and he was dropped for standing up to the manager. That saw him cast off without a squad number, and forced to train with the kids to the astonishment of the fans.
"At the start I thought Ruud liked me, we seemed to get on, but he didn't like being disagreed with and, as captain, my job was to put forward the players' viewpoint. By the end, he didn't speak to me at all. He didn't want me anywhere near the training ground."
Ultimately, thankfully Gullit walked away and Sir Bobby Robson reinstated Lee, who responded by putting in performances that made him a strong contender for player of the season. Which goes to show exactly what Gullit knew about Newcastle.
