Alex Ferguson was yesterday confronted over reports that he was involved in a takeover bid for Manchester United with his friends JP McManus and John Magnier.
Questioned at a press conference on the first day of Manchester United's three-game pre-season tour of south-east Asia, Ferguson insisted he was unaware that McManus and Magnier had increased their stake in United and suggested it was wrong of the media to link him to their share acquisition just because they were friends.
Through a company called Cubic Expression, the two United fans have built up a 6.8 per cent stake in the club, making their company the second biggest shareholder in the club behind BSkyB, which owns 9.9 per cent.
Regardless of any takeover, Ferguson is in line for a profitable year after his financial adviser's revelation yesterday that he would be paid £5 million sterling for his final year as manager at the club. Alan Baines, a senior partner at the Nottingham-based accountancy group BDO Stoy Hayward, said he had brokered a deal that would pay Ferguson more than any of United's first-team players.
"I am a great believer that a manager cannot command respect from the dressing-room unless he earns more than the players," said Baines.
Meanwhile, 2,000 Malaysian fans welcomed the United party. There was little evidence of the large security presence reportedly brought in to protect the Old Trafford players and there were chaotic scenes when fans surged towards their idols as they left the airport.
Ryan Giggs and David Beckham were the star attractions and both are now well versed in dealing with United's popularity in Asia - this is the club's fourth trip to the region in the last six years. The same can not be said of their new record signing Juan Sebastian Veron who appeared overwhelmed by the number of people requesting his autograph.
Both Veron and United's other expensive summer acquisition Ruud Van Nistelrooy are set to make their debuts on Sunday evening against a Malaysian Allstars XI and over 80,000 tickets have been sold. Ferguson said every player in his 20-man squad would play in one of the first two games.
The players' spirits may have been dampened by the news that the water supply where they are staying will be cut for the weekend.
However, any reservations that the squad has will be swiftly answered by the club's chief executive Peter Kenyon who has frequently stressed the importance of "connecting" with fans from Singapore to Stretford.
Few are naive enough to believe that United are playing purely as an act of generosity with observers noting that they have never played in the poorer Asian countries where their support is just as fervent. United already have a Red Cafe and a megastore in Singapore and they are set to open a second outlet in Kuala Lumpur during the tour.
