Veteran Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that he has had to change his methods to cope with modern footballers' 'fragile' personalities.
Ferguson is famed for his so-called 'hairdryer' technique of drawing the best out of his United charges, but accepts that that is no longer the right approach at all times.
He told a conference in Doha:"I've mellowed a great deal. The world has changed and so have players' attitudes.
"I'm dealing with more fragile human beings than I used to be. They are cocooned by modern parents, agents, even their own image at times.
"They need to be seen with their tattoos and earrings. It's a different world for me, so I have had to adapt.
"There is nothing wrong with losing your temper if it's for the right reasons, but I never leave it until the next day. I don't believe in that."
Ferguson also spoke up for Wayne Rooney, who recently signed a new contract at Old Trafford after earlier having stated that he wanted to move on.
"You don't necessarily have to heed advice after listening to it," Ferguson added."Some young people take bad advice.
"He has an agent who is not the most popular man in the world and he obviously sold it to Wayne to ask away. The boy rushed in.
"But the minute he heard the response of the public and our supporters, he changed his mind, he knew he'd made a mistake.
"There's nothing wrong with that as long as you recognise it. He immediately apologised and agreed a new contract within a couple of hours."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
