Sunderland boss Steve Bruce
says ex-Manchester United
teammate Mark Hughes shouldn't
take the jibes from Sir Alex
Ferguson personally - because he does it to all his
former players!
Bruce said: "He wants to beat us and we accept that. But we all
want to beat him, too, and he knows it.
"There are still certain times when I ring Sir Alex and speak to
him for advice. I'd be stupid not to. I used to go for breakfast
with him when I was at Wigan. I
don't think Mark Hughes goes for
breakfast with him, though!
"Sir Alex has this huge presence and, with everything he has
done, he has to be the greatest. But he's still so normal in so
many ways. He has a humility which comes from his background. You
never find him bragging about his achievements.
"There's the same enthusiasm from 20 years ago. I saw him after
the win over City and he was buzzing about it. He thrives on it, it
keeps him young.
"How things are developing in Manchester now is quite
incredible. Manchester City can
challenge, make no mistake.
But Manchester United,
Chelsea and Liverpool have a history steeped in winning and,
in the end, that's what defines a big club."