Who's the smart Alex?

But Ferguson is still the most competitive person I have ever met.

After losing one game for Aberdeen to Liverpool in Europe when they were at their peak, he said that he would fine us all a week's wages if he caught one of us smiling.

I used to think his competitiveness and expectations were over the top but he just doesn't want anyone to accept anything less than the best.

HUMOUR

A huge part of McLeish's armoury is his sense of humour. He will use it to get a message across, to defuse situations, to cajole and endear himself to his players.

He is a funny guy with a dry sense of humour and can also be very silly. Ferguson's sense of humour is not as close to the surface.

At Aberdeen he would leave the jokes to other people. Ferguson loves a laugh as much as anybody else but it is not key to his character in the way it is with McLeish.

PLAYING ABILITY

Ferguson is the worst exfootballer I have seen. Elbows Ferguson. I never saw him play before he became a manager and from what I heard he was half-decent, but by the time he was joining in five-a-sides with us at Aberdeen he had forgotten it all. McLeish was a great player but now, like me, his fitness fluctuates. When he joins in with his players and is fit I am sure he is fine. But when he is not he will suffer.

MANAGEMENT STYLE

They share a very clear view of how they want things done in terms of organisation on and off the field. I am told McLeish is well organised and makes sure he lets people know what he wants.

Ferguson is the same in that respect. He is brilliant at keeping it simple. He makes everyone's job easy by ensuring their roles are explained to them in a straightforward way. I think that is something McLeish would have learned from Ferguson and something we have all tried to emulate.

There is just something about the way he puts things together over time.

No team has a more straightforward philosophy than Fergie's team. It is 4-4-2 mostly and very simple yet difficult to play against because they have good players who know their jobs.

DISCIPLINE

Ferguson controls his players with a fear factor. Over time it leads to respect because they can see that what he said worked. It's clear the effect he has had on Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and that group of players he started working with from an early stage of their careers.

The way they prepare for football and live and behave on and off the field has been maintained through fear of not playing.

McLeish has gone into a different situation with established players at Rangers.

He would have no problem asserting his authority over top players - important at a big club. He is a big guy and an imposing character who has played at the top level.

But he maintains discipline through humour and manmanagement. Not fear.

MAN MANAGEMENT

Many of my friends and family have used the same expression after meeting McLeish for the first time: they say "he's a big nice chap". In fact, so many people said it I started calling him that as well. His players will definitely like him.

Ferguson's approach is different. He needs to know as much as he can about the players so that he is never surprised.

At Aberdeen he used to sit outside the young players' digs to check what time they came in. Then he would ask them about it to see if he could catch them out.

He was always a step ahead but made it clear that when he slaughtered you, it was because he valued you.

Sometimes he would blast you and then arrange for you to go to dinner with him in a group later on. There were no bad feelings.

MOTIVATION

Shock tactics have been part of Ferguson's approach. He can be vicious in his vitriol and at halftime would leave you in no doubt about what he thought. He will also set very tough targets and he has been helped by the Champions League because that is another level to aspire to. There are also methods similar to those which ensured discipline. One thing he did at Aberdeen, which I think he has maintained at United, is to make sure players go out every game playing for their place.

That was probably what he was doing when he dropped Beckham and Giggs in recent seasons.

At Aberdeen he used to announce his team at 2pm on a Saturday and, even if I had played the last 50 consecutive games, I could not be sure I would be in when he read it out.

McLeish is different. He will enjoy having that kind of threat but will try to be a bit more technical and put things right by giving the players more information.

Ferguson can do that too, but McLeish gives a different sort of dressing-room team talk.

As a player he was always one of the voices at half-time. He is a great communicator and I can imagine his sort of delivery could give players a real kick up the backside.

OUTLOOK

Ferguson wants United to be the best in the world and his outlook would be in the extreme. His club might be the biggest seller of shirts or whatever but from his point of view the thing that makes United the biggest club in the world is if they win more than anybody else. The Champions League will be very important to both men but McLeish will be simply trying to improve in Europe each year.

Ferguson's ambition will be to win the Champions League and he will expect to achieve it. McLeish would love to do that but I don't think he believes they will.

POPULARITY

McLeish is popular because of his success at Rangers. But Ferguson is probably the next most popular boss among Rangers fans because he played for them and has never hidden his affection for the club. He'll get a terrific reception tonight.

TONIGHT

Everybody likes to go back to their old clubs and even though Fergie can only return as manager he will enjoy the experience. There will be an atmosphere to behold and, should Rangers win, it will be massive for the club and McLeish.

He is quite modest and will have to overcome a feeling of inferiority. He is not arrogant enough to think he is as good as Ferguson.

McLeish will not be intimidated, but he will be aware of Ferguson and his opinion because that is the stage he is at.