On Sky Sports, former Manchester United captains Roy Keane and Gary Neville have an in-depth discussion about the phenomenon of players receiving too much praise in modern soccer, and look back at Sir Alex Ferguson's unique and successful approach to management.
Keane began by expressing his concern about the current proliferation of praise in soccer. He pointed out that players nowadays seem to receive praise too easily, with even basic actions such as ball control becoming the subject of praise. He recalls his time playing for Nottingham Forest, when players cherished praise from manager Brian Clough more because it was a real sense of affirmation rather than a flood of compliments. Keane also quoted John Robertson, emphasizing how Clough's praise was a huge inspiration to his players.
Keane and Neville then turned the conversation to Ferguson's management philosophy. Neville vividly described Ferguson's typical reaction after a game, "If you win, he'll simply say 'Well done, son.' And then it's over." He emphasized that Ferguson almost never gave too much praise in the dressing room, and that his words were always succinct but powerful enough to make the players feel the value of their efforts. Neville also pointed out that as a manager, especially when the team is achieving high positions, every word can be interpreted in a magnified way, so words must be chosen carefully.
Keane added further to Ferguson's managerial wisdom. He mentioned that Sir Alex Ferguson had emphasized the importance of using the words "well done" on the training ground, but only if they really meant something and were not just words. Keane echoes this notion, believing that real praise should be meaningful and not a cheap compliment, echoing his feelings when playing under Clough.
