Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand has revealed how his old manager Sir Alex Ferguson dealt with any threat of 'player power'.
Fergie ruled with an iron fist during his 27-year reign at Old Trafford, earning the respect of his squads who in turn delivered 38 trophies including 13 Premier League titles.
Those pantheon days appear to be a distant memory for United's fans, however.
They are currently picking the bones out of another dismal season that saw their team finish sixth in the top flight, 32 points behind eventual champions and bitter derby rivals City.
Former United captain Roy Keane hasn't shied away from his public criticism of United's Class of 2019, questioning the character of Old Gunnar Solskjaer's current squad.
Ferdinand - who was in Northern Ireland on Tuesday for the launch of New Era Global Sport Management's new Belfast office - said any insubordination would not have been tolerated under legendary manager Ferguson.
"I think it comes down to the manager," he said.
"I can only talk from experience. With Sir Alex Ferguson there was a fear factor, especially early on in his career. There was a fear factor that ran through every squad that he had.
"You wanted to run through brick walls for him, and you didn't want to disappoint him. And if you did something wrong then you knew he would be coming for you."
While Manchester United's season ended in the ignominy of missing out on the Champions League, rivals Man City and Liverpool ran amok at the top of the table.
Ferdinand believes City boss Pep Guardiola and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp have the respect of their respective players, which translates into their performances on the pitch.
"Now you cant tell me Klopp is not like that, and you can't tell me Guardiola isn't like that," Ferdinand said when comparing them with Ferguson's relationship with United's players.
"You can see it. You can see the players thinking 'I have to do everything I can for him'. Those managers won't let the players slack.
"There might be other managers out there who might say you can't do that with modern day players. But you have to make them.
"I still think there are players who want to be the best and want to be guided, and more importantly, they need to be guided."
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