Sir Alex Ferguson not afraid to wield the axe at Manchester United

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists that he is not afraid to dispose of his senior players, if the circumstances should make it necessary for him to do so. The Red Devils boss has in the past made hard choices for the greater good of the club, and has managed to realise his dream of knocking Liverpool off their perch by surpassing them in terms of the number of league titles won. The Old Trafford outfit have now won 19 league titles, with 12 of them coming under Sir Alex's reign.

"You cant get sentimental in this job," said the Scot, according to The Mirror. "I love the players I’ve had. I’ve been very, very fortunate to have had great players. And I’ve been very fortunate to have had players come through with me for a long, long time.

"At United, [Ryan] Giggs, [Gary] Neville and [Paul] Scholes. Even Phil [Neville] and Nicky Butt, guys who were the spirit of the club. They have remained part of what I see is Manchester United.

"And all the players I’ve had here have played a part in that. "But when I see something happening I have to act. In the case of Nicky Butt and Phil Neville I had to release them because I was getting to the stage where I was terrified of talking to them. Telling them they were not playing a game.

"And it wasn’t fair to them. They were good players. Players that played a big part in the resurrection of Manchester United, no doubt about that. "So when the time came for me to let them go, I knew it was cutting strings. Loyal strings. And I didn’t enjoy it.

"But my job is to manage Manchester United. My job is to produce results. I’m not any different from anybody else. I need results here. I’ll not be regarded here – and the club will not be regarded – in the same way if I was unsuccessful."