If there's one thing Sir Alex Ferguson can't abide by, it's a player believing that he has become bigger than the team. Disrupting the group ethic by demanding to be played at his behest, Ruud van Nistelrooy's actions in the 05/06 season rendered his position at the club untenable. Whenever a player goes head to head with the wily Scot, they always lose, bar none. Furious at having been dropped for the Carling Cup final in February 2006, the prolific Dutchman reportedly launched a foul-mouthed tirade at his manager, exacerbating an already frosty relationship.
''It makes it difficult for a manager because every time you come to pick a team for a major game there are two or three player you are hesitant about telling they are out of the team either because they are great player, they have been great players in the past or you have a certain relationship with them. All you can do is hope they will agree with the reasoning behind your decision. Of course, sometimes a player doesn't agree. But it is what happens after that, how they adapt to it is different with every player. Ruud was different in that way.'' - Sir Alex Ferguson, August 2006.
Tensions reached boiled point on the final day of the season when van Nistelrooy stormed away from Old Trafford prior to kick-off, fuming at the latest decision to omit the Premier League Golden Boot winner.
''It was not only me leaving, it was the club wanting me to leave. They wanted me to leave because it wasn't working out between me and the manager. We couldn't change that, and myself and the club chose to move on without each other.'' - Ruud van Nistelrooy, August 2007.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
