"If you go back to when I started playing young players in the League Cup, a lot of people complained," recalled Sir Alex. "If you’re in Europe, the FA Cup and have the League to contend with, you can’t play the same players all the time. The stats show players’ running performances have soared, particularly sprints. It’s amazing. So the game has developed and is quicker with more energy being spent in games. You have to think more about picking your teams.
"I think the players accept it now. I wouldn’t say they enjoy it but they handle it better. It is difficult. You have to speak to them and can’t ignore it. The days of putting the team up on the notice-board have gone. They have here anyway. I don’t think you can do it any other way."