Sir Alex Ferguson has said the reaction of the players does not stop him dropping players when he believes they need it.

“Players react differently,” said Ferguson. “Some accept it, others find it hard. It depends on the nature of the personalities. But it doesn’t deflect me from picking what I feel is the correct team. You cannot think about how much a player costs when you are picking a team. Once that player is signed it is not as if you can go to the tax man and ask for a rebate if he doesn’t play. Others might not agree with my choice and the recent FA Cup semi-final was a case in point. But I never allow anyone to cloud my judgement. I am very clear-minded about that.”