Manchester United legend Bryan Robson has hailed the man-management of Sir Alex Ferguson this season.

Ferguson did face a test of his authority when Wayne Rooney arrived for training worse for wear after a night out over Christmas. The United manager immediately dropped his star player.

"That is why he will always clamp down," said Robson. "When you look at certain managers, you ask whether they would have left Rooney out.

"United had a million injuries going into that game. He is fielding depleted team and then he says: 'I am not having him' and Wayne is left out.

"A lot of managers might have fined him but put him in because it was an important game and they didn't want to slip up. The boss saw the bigger picture.

"It is not just that. It is the other side of it as well. Does Wayne think he can get away with it because he is one of the top players in the world? The boss has shown the answer to be no."