Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted losing control of the Manchester United dressing room would spell the end of his glittering career at Old Trafford. Famed for his 'hairdryer' rants at players, Ferguson accepts that making sure every member of his squad knows who is in charge is vital.
And he warned that any members of the team who step out of line and attempt to question his authority will quickly be shown the door.
Ferguson was speaking to a group of philosophy students at Dublin's Trinity College, and although he had a smile on his face there was no mistaking the stark message.
He said: "If I lose control of these multi-millionaires in the Manchester United dressing room then I'm dead.
"So I never lose control. If anyone steps out of my control, that's them dead.
"Through my development, I've come across two issues - power and control. Control is important, very, very important. My control is the most important thing.
"The most important person in Manchester United is the manager."
The veteran boss moved to Old Trafford from Aberdeen, where he discovered that trying to run every single aspect of the club was counter-productive.
He added: "I always thought that when I became a manager - and I experienced this in Aberdeen - I had too much control.
"I was doing everything - ordering the pies, looking after the programmes. It was getting me nowhere.
"What happens is that you do too much and then you don't do the important things.
"Then, the directors start to say 'He's too big for his boots' and stuff like that."
