Alex Ferguson was renowned for his ruthless pursuit of success while managing Manchester United, producing some of the most memorable moments in English football.
Daniel Harris, journalist and host of the United Rewind podcast, joined Wednesday's OTBAM to detail some of Fergie's most explosive moments during his time at Old Trafford.
Post-match on ITV after the semi-final win over Arsenal
Not unlike Ferguson's fellow great Scottish managers Jock Stein and Bill Shankly, football was about the connection between the club and its supporters.
After a pulsating extra-time, FA Cup replay win over Arsenal in 1999, an ITV reporter questioned how the prolonged tie would affect Fergie's players in the title run-in.
Ferguson chose to focus on the positives.
"Can you forget moments like this? Our supporters will be talking about that for years, the players will be talking about that for years," Ferguson said.
For Harris, this is one of the most enjoyable moments while listening back to the manager.
"The reason why I love that is not because the reporter asks a silly question and Ferguson makes the person asking look silly," Harris said."[It is] the way he encapsulates what football is about as a supporter.
"No football supporter is sitting there when your team has won an FA Cup semi-final in legendary style thinking 'oh we have got a few too many games here.
"Football is about the moments you remember with your friends, your family or whoever you go to the games with."
Ferguson roars at Johnny Evans
The San Siro is one of football's most iconic grounds and traditionally a difficult place to come away with a victory.
United managed to do just that in 2010 winning 3-2 thanks to Wayne Rooney who scored a brace with his head.
Milan did claw a goal back as Clarence Seedorf stole in ahead of Johnny Evans to flick the ball past Edwin van der Sar to make the final moments nerve-wracking for United.
A thread of magnificent Fergie outbursts and speeches, starting with the greatest of them all. pic.twitter.com/2ZaMeaYu4W
— United Rewind (@unitedrewind) February 17, 2021
Evans failed to get close enough to the Dutchman and prevent the goal, drawing the ire of Ferguson on the touchline although that is disputed in some quarters, according to Harris.
"Fergie only ever lost it with the players he knew could take it," Harris explained.
"Sometimes he lost it when he was not actually annoyed with them but he was showing something to the other players.
"It may be that Ferguson was just furious with Evans and [the rage] was indiscriminate but it also could be that he was vexed with quite a few people and he thought Evans could take it."
Paul Ince, big-time Charlie
Ahead of a pivotal clash with Liverpool at the end of the 1997/98 season, Ferguson delivered a memorable one-liner.
Paul Ince had left United and gone to Inter Milan after Ferguson had deemed him surplus to requirements. Ince then joined Liverpool once his spell at Inter had ended.
Predictably he became a focal point for Ferguson in the lead up to the game.
"Liverpool have given Ince the license to just attack without any defensive duties," Ferguson said."If he tries to bully you, f****** enjoy it. Don't let him attempt to bully you. You just make sure you are ready for him.
"That is all you need to worry about from him, his big-time Charlie bit.
"If we get the ball transferred into the [midfield and forward] areas, I do not think they have a chance against us."
Harris did not revel in the treatment Ince received when stepping out at Old Trafford during that encounter that ended 1-1, however, he highlighted Fergie's ability to challenge and motivate the players under his command.
"What I love about this one, obviously there is the contempt, but what is brilliant about this is the way that he delivers the speech," Harris said.
"Ferguson is always challenging his players and asking them to ask questions of themselves.
"He tells them what they have to do to win and is so emphatic that they are going to win."
Ferguson on the importance of half-time team talks
For Fergie, half-time is where managers earn their stripes.
"Most managers earn their money just in the half-time team talk alone because it changes the state of play," he said.
On this occasion, Ferguson reminds his players who they will have to deal with should they let themselves down in the second half.
"The thing about Fergie is that he is the master of simple rhetoric," Harris said.
"He does not mess around with empty words but he chooses his words so carefully.
"Ferguson is reminding them that if they do let themselves down then they are going to have to deal with him."
The Govan man was so adept at keeping United's players on their game, provoking them on an emotional level.
"He understood how to get people going," Harris concluded.
The Ferguson speech that enraged Kevin Keegan
Every football fan has seen Kevin Keegan's infamous rant during the run in for the 1996 Premier League title.
The outburst was prompted by Ferguson questioning the commitment of Leeds United and whether they would try as hard against Newcastle United as they had against his own side.
"How do you assess Leeds United," he asked after United drew 2-2 with Leeds.
"After seeing that tonight I can only say the players are cheating their manager."
The reaction from Keegan will live on forever.
"I am not really sure why Keegan got so furious about that," Harris said.
"He could feel it slipping away and Ferguson knew Keegan being Keegan he was unable to control himself."
That is the difference between Ferguson and other managers, according to Harris. The ability to control your emotion and use fury in a calculated manager.
Ferguson drops Jim Leighton
After a disastrous performance in the 1990 FA Cup final draw with Crystal Palace, Ferguson showed his ruthless nature by dropping goalkeeper Jim Leighton, something that still irks Leighton to this day.
"The easy decision was to play him again, the hard decision won us the cup," Ferguson said.
Now the decision is fully vindicated as Fergie claimed his first trophy as United manager and the rest is history.
"Leighton had been dreadful for quite some time," Harris said.
"Ferguson was ruthless, he never shied away from a hard decision but more than that he made positive decisions."
6-1 humbling by Manchester City
This memory is etched into the minds of every United supporter as the 'noisy neighbours' battered the home side 6-1 in 2011, running riot at Old Trafford in what was a statement win.
Ferguson was aware of the damage that had been caused making reference to the fact that United's goal difference had suffered dreadfully as a result of the defeat.
The scoreboard shows the final score of Manchester United 1-6 Manchester CityIt proved to be prophetic as City would go onto claim their first Premier League title that year by virtue of a superior goal difference.
Despite the heavy defeat, Ferguson cut an accepting figure in his post-match analysis, rueing the fact that his side had continued to attack while 4-1 behind.
He did this with a wry smile on his face and for Harris that encompasses the essence of Manchester United throughout the clubs' history.
"I feel Ferguson is sort of proud that they kept attacking even though it went very wrong," said Harris laughing at Ferguson's calm demeanour that protected the club's image and gave his players a lift after a damaging result.
You can watch the entire segment with Daniel Harris on YouTube at the link above.
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