Ferguson uses anger to test players, says Sunderland manager Steve Bruce

Ferguson has delivered some severe dressing-room dressing downs during his 25 years at Old Trafford and Bruce says nobody is spared. While plenty of managers are capable of angry reprimands, Ferguson has a knack of knowing who needs one and when.

Bruce was a key member of the United side who ended a 26-year wait to become English champions in 1994 and the Sunderland manager argued that his former boss succeeded by ensuring his players were tough enough as well as good enough.

“If you couldn’t stand up to that then you were no use to him,” said Bruce, whose Sunderland side travel to Old Trafford looking to spoil the anniversary celebrations tomorrow.

“If you couldn’t stand up to him and his demands, and many a player couldn’t, then you couldn’t play for Man United. That was his mentality, to have people around him who were born winners, like he was. He wanted people to respond to it and react to it rather than shrink from it.

“He would just shout right in your face. We all answered him back, but there was only ever one winner – him, and rightly so. For all of us who had it, you just accepted it. It made you better and it made you stronger."