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Sir Alex Ferguson Told Ryan Giggs To 'Forget' About Upcoming Five Games So He Could Prepare For Michael Ballack

Sir Alex Ferguson Told Ryan Giggs To 'Forget' About Upcoming Five Games So He Could Prepare For Michael Ballack

Ryan Giggs didn't play for five games so he was fit and ready for the clash against Chelsea.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Ryan Giggs has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson kept him out of the Manchester United side for five games so he was ready to cause problems for Michael Ballack.

The legendary Scotsman is known for his unique managerial style and the latest tale has been told by Giggs, who found himself in and out of the team at the time.

Giggs was told to "forget" about upcoming games so that he was prepared for a big clash against Chelsea in three weeks time - Ferguson's thinking being that the Welshman could step up to the mark and run rings around the German in the middle of the park.

"The majority of the time he could trust us to play a role, I played midfield at Old Trafford against Chelsea." Giggs told The Greatest Game podcast with Jamie Carragher.

"He pulled me like three weeks before the game. He said, 'We're playing Chelsea, I want you to play in midfield against Michael Ballack. He doesn't like players running at him, you'll give him nightmares.

"Three weeks away, there's like five games in between. I said, "What about the other games in between?"

He says: 'Forget about them. Just get yourself ready for Chelsea'. 'It was that sort of thing. Okay, you'd be subbed, be in and out of the team but get yourself right for that."

Image: PA
Image: PA

Giggs was a long-time player under Ferguson and won 13Premier League titles playing under him in a decorated career at Old Trafford.

The two had a productive relationship and though Giggs has called him a "master of psychology", the United legend did have his fair share of run-ins with Fergie over the years.

"I fell out with him plenty of times," he admitted in an interview with beIN Sports' The Champions Club.

"I mean the amount of times I would say over my career, six or seven times where it was a couple of weeks wages I was fined for talking back, for having an argument.

"At the time it's not very nice, you're in the dressing room, you've just got beat or you've had a bad performance. And I just couldn't help myself have a go back.

"He actually, later in his career, he told me he like that, it meant that you cared.

"He'd still fine you two weeks because he wanted to show that he was in charge, but he actually quite liked it, as long as it didn't cross the line of course."

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Chelsea, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Ryan Giggs