Sir Alex Ferguson has sent a warning to Manchester United successor David Moyes that the key to success at Old Trafford is harmony throughout the club, especially in hard times.
The Red Devils currently sit in ninth place in the Premier League table, with the 50-year-old enduring an unspectacular start to life at the club, but the recently retired Ferguson was keen to stress the importance of pulling together.
"Three things are very important when you are working with them [coaching staff] - work ethic, loyalty, philosophy," said the former United boss at the 10th Uefa Coach Education Workshop in Budapest.
"You all have to be singing the same tune, no matter how bad the tune is. It’s important that your people agree with you and the way that we at United wanted to play, that was very important."
Ferguson, who was famed for his 'hairdryer treatment' during his 26 years in charge of United, says he was forced to tame his temper in the latter stages of his career.
"The human beings I've dealt with are far more fragile than the human beings of 30 years ago," he added.
"And I say that in a good sense because they're coming from better conditions. I couldn't lose my temper the way I did back then with people nowadays.
"Sometimes it's about inspiring to make players better than they are and the best that they could have been."