Manchester United management did fear losing Wayne Rooney during his contract blow-up this season. United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen has become the first member of Ferguson's staff to admit the club feared Rooney was about to join Manchester City.
Writing in the Mancunian Magazine, published in Holland, Meulensteen said the Rooney issue was "a matter for the manager to protect the value of the player for the club and to ensure he would not join City".
Meulensteen joked: "All of us - staff, coaches, masseurs, groundsmen, etc - put on our balaclavas and went over to Rooney's home to explain to him that going to City was not done.
"Rooney stayed, extended his contract and got a nice salary increase. However, the real winner is the great Alex Ferguson."