Sir Alex Ferguson’s Lionel Messi Mind Games Which Inspired Famous Man Utd Result

Manchester United got the better of Barcelona in the 2008 Champions League finals after an unorthodox team talk from Ferguson.

Sir Alex Ferguson (left) got the better of Lionel Messi in 2008. | Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Ben Radford/Corbis/Getty Images

Former Manchester United fullback Patrice Evra revealed that, by challenging him to get the better of Lionel Messi in front of all his teammates, Sir Alex Ferguson inspired him to a dominant performance against Barcelona in the 2008 Champions League semi-final.

United’s most successful manager of all time was famed for his mind games. Opposition coaches wilted under his witty retorts while rival players and referees could be made to bend to his will. Even his own squad wasn’t spared from Ferguson’s psychological manipulation.

In the dressing room moments before the first leg at Camp Nou, Evra found himself the subject of his manager’s team talk.

“Ferguson,” Evra recalled in an interview with The Telegraph, “in front of everyone, started the meeting like this, ‘Oh guys, today it’s an important game and if we lose it’s because of Patrice.’ We looked at each other and I was thinking, ‘O.K. this is a lot of pressure.’

“Ferguson said: ‘Patrice, I don’t care about Messi being the best football player in the world, whatever. If we lose—if we don’t keep Messi quiet—I am going to blame you.’ ”

United battled to a goalless draw which set the firm foundations for a 1–0 win at Old Trafford in the return fixture. The Red Devils would also get the better of Chelsea in the final to win the only Champions League title of Evra’s career which included five trips to the showpiece fixture. Rather than wilt under the pressure, Evra was emboldened by Ferguson’s pre-match barb: “He knew me and he knew how to manage me.”

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How Did Patrice Evra Fare Against Lionel Messi?

Patrice Evra (left) had his work cut out keeping up with Lionel Messi. | Ben Radford/Corbis/Getty Images

Messi, even as a 20-year-old yet to win his first Ballon d’Or, rarely has a completely quiet evening, especially when faced with just one opponent. As José Mourinho once giddily explained: “When Messi has the ball, one-on-one, you are dead. That’s why I never liked the individual, man-to-man [marking] against Messi. You have to create a cage.”

Ferguson trusted Evra to deal with this impossible task on his own—and it paid off. At the end of a horribly cagey affair the Frenchman emerged unscathed. Rio Ferdinand bounded over to praise his battling colleague at the final whistle.

“It was a very even match,” Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard conceded at the time. “United were very well organised in defence.” That began with an impeccably motivated Evra.

Some players would wilt under the spotlight Ferguson shone before that Camp Nou trip. Evra’s teammate at the time Gerard Piqué, for instance, was not called upon to replace the sick Nemanja Vidić because Ferguson thought it would be unfair “to put him under the pressure of playing against his former club at the Camp Nou.” Evra had a very different mindset.

One of 24 children who proudly fought his way through the French league system to overcome doubts about his height and physicality, Evra responded well to a combative style. “I never wanted Alex Ferguson to say, ‘Well done, you played a good game,’” he reflected. “I wanted Alex Ferguson to kill me and say, ‘You missed that f------ pass.’ Because I wanted to be perfect.”

Knowing which approach to adopt for each player was Ferguson’s greatest skill.

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Patrice Evra’s Toughest Opponent Was Not Lionel Messi—or Cristian Ronaldo

Patrice Evra (left) never liked playing against James Milner. | Chris Coleman/Manchester United/Getty Images

Evra played five times against Messi—losing three Champions League finals—and would also face his fabled former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet, neither of those modern-day greats held the distinction of Evra’s toughest opponent. That honour belonged to the unlikely figure of James Milner.

“He frustrated me with his work ethic,” Evra explained. “I was up and down and he was following me every time. I said to him once, ‘James, are you going to follow me even if I go to the toilet?’ I am not surprised he is still playing.”

Familiarity bred contempt in the context of Evra’s battle with Milner. The French fullback never played another outfielder more often than his English counterpart, squaring up against the indefatigable winger on 21 separate occasions. Forget Messi, if only Ferguson had devised a motivational tool for Evra when facing Milner.

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Statistic	Evra Record vs. Milner
Games	21
Wins	8
Draws	6
Losses	7
Evra Goals Scored	0
Milner Goals Scored	3

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