Inside Sir Alex Ferguson's ‘most unbelievable’ Man United team-talk

In this file photo taken on May 12, 2013 Manchester United's Scottish manager Alex Ferguson holds the Premier League trophy at the end of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Swansea City at Old Trafford in Manchester, northwest England. [AFP PHOTO / Andrew YATES]

Michael Owen has revealed all about his most memorable team talk, giving a glimpse of how Sir Alex Ferguson spoke to his players behind the scenes.

Ferguson was known for getting the best out his players, though he often had mixed relationships with them.

However, Owen’s story seems to suggest that the legendary Manchester United manager was not afraid to get emotional during team talks.

Speaking ahead of their quarter-final clash in the Champions League against Chelsea in 2011, Ferguson got very personal with his squad, Owen admits, which made it so memorable for him.

“There was a time that we played Chelsea in the Champions League in the quarter finals or the semi finals,” Owen told Stadium Astro when asked about the most memorable team talk he could remember

“He never did this, but he got us all into a meeting in the hotel room on the morning of the game.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson salutes the fans after their English Premier League soccer match against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns in West Bromwich, central England, May 19, 2013. This was Ferguson's 1,500th and final match as Manchester United manager. [REUTERS/Eddie Keogh]

“We thought, ‘Is he going to tell us the team, is he going to talk tactics?’. He basically just went round and spoke to everybody and told the team how special he felt they were, both individually and as a team.

“He started telling a story about himself and when he was younger and how he grew to where he is now [was then].

“Then he started talking about how in the future when we get to 50 and 60 and 70 and we see each other again, the bond that we will have because of the bond we have.

“When you’re in the future and you see somebody, you can actually look them in the eye and think ‘he would have actually spilled blood for me on that night’.

“He just went through a scenario. It was just the most emotional, and the most unbelievable team talk that made us all feel a real team before we went to play that game.

“It was probably the best team talk I’ve ever been involved in.”


 

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