Andy Cole Shares Insights on Sir Alex Ferguson’s Training Tactics at Manchester United
Andy Cole disclosed that the underperforming player in Manchester United training was required to don a yellow jersey as a mark of shame.
The 53-year-old played with the Red Devils from 1995 to 2001 under Sir Alex Ferguson. He shared that the intensity during training sessions was remarkable. On the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast alongside Joel Beya, Cole stated, “The training at Man United was crazy. The intensity was insane.”
“If you lost in training, it was a serious matter. We would introduce the yellow jersey, which was given to the worst player. The following week, they had to wear it,” he explained. Ferdinand then inquired about who frequently received the jersey, to which Cole referred to Gary Pallister.
Cole continued, “We actually enjoyed it because it motivated everyone to perform well during training. Nobody wanted to wear that jersey by the end of the week.” He elaborated on how players would express frustration at being voted the worst but had to accept it.
Despite Ferdinand’s successful career at Manchester United from 2002 to 2014, he did not join until after Cole’s departure. During England training camps, he often asked Cole about his experiences at the club.
Cole reminisced, “I would tell them how intense it was at Man United, and sometimes it would even scare them away. They’d wonder how it compared to England’s training sessions.” The rigorous training certainly contributed to United’s impressive accomplishments under Ferguson, who captured 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, among other trophies.
Currently, Manchester United finds itself struggling in 13th place in the Premier League under new manager Ruben Amorim, following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal. As they seek to improve their standing, the club’s co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has announced plans to secure a Premier League title by 2028 to mark their anniversary, though skepticism remains about the feasibility of these goals amid criticism from former players.
