Paul McGrath has admitted Alex Ferguson was exactly right to bomb him out of Manchester United.
Dumping McGrath and fellow drinking buddy Norman Whiteside was the first big decision of Ferguson's 20 illustrious years at Old Trafford.
Although the United manager recognised the extraordinary talent of both men, he found it impossible to curb their wayward lifestyles, admitting McGrath in particular was ‘totally unreachable’.
At the time, McGrath felt let down and launched a vicious public attack on Ferguson following his move to Aston Villa in 1989.
However, looking back, the former Republic of Ireland star accepts Ferguson had little choice as he looked to impose a more professional attitude within the Red Devils camp.
‘Obviously, we didn't see eye to eye quite early on,’ said McGrath. ‘I was still a bit immature and just felt if I gave 110% on the pitch, the manager should have nothing to do with me off it.
‘That was not Alex's view of what he wanted for Manchester United. He wanted players to be respectful and live a certain lifestyle.
‘The drinking schools were never as bad as people made out but myself and Norman just used to do our own thing.
‘Manchester United was bigger than a couple of lads wanting a few beers in the afternoon. It wasn't that we were total toerags, but we were seen around the place a bit drunk at times.
‘Alex wanted to change the image of the club and did exactly that. I hung in there for as long as I could but he was dead right to get rid of us.’
McGrath's view of Ferguson is still soured to an extent by the manner of his Old Trafford departure.
Although the stylish defender, who has just released his warts-and-all autobiography ‘Back from the Brink' was banned from speaking to the media during the latter days at the club, stories appeared suggesting he was demanding more money, an argument he strenuously denies.
Nevertheless, it is easy to imagine Ferguson and McGrath being at loggerheads on plenty of occasions, although the softly-spoken former player claims he was never too bothered by the hair-dryer treatment.
‘I did not find him intimidating at all," said McGrath. ‘I had the screaming on occasion when I had done something wrong. I know it scared a lot of people but it didn't bother me.
‘It is a bit of a surprise really because I was so insecure but when he was yelling it just brought out some inner strength in me and made me able to stand up for myself.’
As the years have passed, so McGrath's anger with Ferguson has subsided.
He is genuinely delighted to see the Scot celebrate two decades in one of the toughest jobs the game has to offer, although he admits such a long tenure looked unlikely during those difficult early days.
‘When you think about the struggles we had as a club after he joined, you could not imagine him being there for 20 years,’ said McGrath.
‘But I am genuinely thrilled he has lasted so long and done what he has done for Manchester United. He is a true legend of the game and the best of it is United are really firing on all cylinders again.
‘I still think he could do with bolstering the squad with a world-class midfielder but everywhere else around the pitch is looking good. It is an exciting time to be a United fan which is good because I really want to see them challenging Chelsea this season.’
