CLARET & BLUE Sir Alex Ferguson so angry at Man Utd loss to City he ‘drank red wine in his office alone with face like thunder’

SIR ALEX FERGUSON drank red wine alone in his office at half-time of Manchester United's defeat to City as he was so angry with his team's shocking performance, according to reports.

Posted Friday, January 10, 2020 by Thesun.co.uk

The former Red Devils boss, 78, was in the stands at Old Trafford but could only watch on helpless as Pep Guardiola delivered a tactical masterclass in the Carabao Cup semi-final.

CLARET & BLUE Sir Alex Ferguson so angry at Man Utd loss to City he ‘drank red wine in his office alone with face like thunder’
Sir Alex Ferguson was fuming at half-time of the Manchester City game, although Steve McLaren, to his left, looks like he finds something amusing Credit: EPA

City reverted to a back four with Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan in front but then Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne operated with the freedom of Manchester, roaming and swarming in attack.

City won 3-1 in the first leg - it could have been far more - and are expected to make the final of the cup they have won for the last two seasons.

And according to the Daily Star, Ferguson and United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward were left feeling humiliated by the events that unfolded.

Senior bosses from both sides are understood to have mingled in the directors' lounge at half-time but Sir Alex was in no mood to talk.

The Old Trafford legend - who retired as manager in 2013 but remains on the board - is thought to have taken himself off with a glass of red wine to his office during the interval instead while Woodward slumped in a chair with his head in his hands.

A club source told the Star: "The directors lounge wasn't a good place to be at half-time from a United point of view.

"All Sir Alex wanted to do was go straight to his office. He couldn't face anyone and was determined to be somewhere else, while Mr Woodward just had his head in his hands."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer described the first-half performance as his "worst" in charge - his men were left chasing shadows in a disastrous first half with City operating with two 'false No9s'.

Silva, Mahrez and an Andreas Pereira own goal did the damage by the break before United improved in the second half, grabbing a lifeline through Marcus Rashford.

City's De Bruyne revealed it took just 15 MINUTES to perfect the system that bamboozled the Red Devils.

He said City chief Guardiola only told his players about the formation on Tuesday morning — and they spent a quarter of an hour practising it.

Belgian maestro KDB, 28, admitted: “We did 15 minutes in the morning, that’s about it. On Monday we didn’t train that way, then Tuesday morning we did.

"But it’s not like we never did it before. We did it against teams who prefer to play man against man — Cardiff, United, Barcelona.

"I don’t think there is a lot of difference.

"Obviously they tried to play man against man in the midfield, so it’s a little bit difficult for us, because wherever we run they tried to follow us.”

CLARET & BLUE Sir Alex Ferguson so angry at Man Utd loss to City he ‘drank red wine in his office alone with face like thunder’
United were 3-0 down by half-time as they failed to cope with City's attacking play Credit: PA:Press Association