Читать книгу 250 Days. Cantona’s Kung Fu and the Making of Man U онлайн

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In 1994 Sky Sports produced a video montage of Cantona’s fouls and aggression set to music. It made Ferguson furious at the alleged victimisation of his player, although the reality is that United’s manager needed no excuse to rail against the conduct of journalists who he felt regularly threw rocks around a large glass house.

Ferguson did not just give Cantona a clean slate; he treated him differently to the other players in United’s squad. Ferguson usually maintained an air of authority on the training ground or on matchday, but would go out of his way to talk to Cantona one-on-one every day. Recognising that the Frenchman was a sensitive personality, he would talk to him about different aspects of football relating to United and beyond in order to ensure the player’s well-being.

One interesting theory – proposed by Ferguson himself – is that the Manchester United manager saw plenty of his own personality in Cantona, thus giving him added personal motivation to get the best out of him. Both had reputations for explosive anger and both saw themselves as outsiders, non-Englishmen attempting to lead an English sporting institution.