In the daily ritual of training-ground ribbing, Sir Alex Ferguson was teasing the Nevilles recently. Gary and Phil enjoy their cricket, particularly Phil, once a dashing blade with Lancashire, and Ferguson had had enough of their chatter of catches and cover drives. "What the hell do you see in that cricket?" Ferguson asked them. "It's not a sport."
Squad rotation: Alex Ferguson substitutes David Beckham during the friendly against Parma
Understandably indignant, the Nevilles rose to the boss's bouncer. "Of course, it's a sport," they replied. To which Ferguson unleashed what he considered an unplayable delivery, demanding to know: "Do Brazil play cricket? No, soccer is their religion."
In Ferguson's eyes, it can only be a real team sport if the great Brazilians play it. "Apart from a bit of volleyball and basketball, the Brazilians' team sport is football. If you go down that Copacabana beach, it's five miles long and there are pitches all the way along it, floodlit at night-time. Brazilians play all the time."
The dream of financial security as well as glory stirs many Brazilians. "If there was a recession in England you might get that [hungry] Brazilian attitude," reflected Ferguson, a manager who so values mental toughness. "After the World Cup, we were talking about Brazilian players amongst the staff and I said 'right, write down one Brazilian player who didn't have the courage to want the ball all the time'. No one. Brazilians are born from the earth of their country to perform on the biggest stages."
Manchester United's manager praises traits in other teams that he fosters in his own: fearlessness, skill, pace and adventure. "The Korean and Japanese players at the World Cup had a freshness and energy that other players should be looking at in terms of enthusiasm to play the game.
"European players have become sophisticated to a point where they miss little details like 'get ruddy stuck in' and 'throw your head in'. There was a courage about the Koreans and Japanese which was good."
That was lacking in certain other World Cup sides. "France were the biggest disappointment and the Italian defenders had a nightmare. Cannavaro - one of the best defenders in the world - he was very disappointing. Nesta didn't look at home."
Domestically, Sir Bobby Robson's Newcastle United give Ferguson real pleasure. "I would have loved Newcastle to have won the League last year - for Bobby, for the changes he has made, for the person he is and for the way his team played.
"I love watching Newcastle; in front of their Geordie fans they can be sensational. They are the quickest team in the League: Craig Bellamy's a handful, Kieron Dyer is so quick and Nolberto Solano has done well. They have also bought a good player from Portugal in Hugo Viana."
Ferguson has also invested well, although Rio Ferdinand's fee escalated to £30 million as he shone in the Land of the Rising Sun. "We tried to buy Rio before the World Cup started. I was hoping he wouldn't have as good a World Cup to be honest!
"It was essential to get Ferdinand. Rio's not fazed by anything; he's young, very athletic and gifted fitness-wise. I met his mother and father and you can see certain traits there. He's a well-groomed boy. His young sister is exactly the same. They have been looked after well by the parents."
Ferdinand will be partnered by Laurent Blanc this season - "without question" - with Wes Brown and John O'Shea competing for the honour when Blanc departs in the summer.
"If Brown can stay clear of injury, he will be a top player. O'Shea is a tremendous talent: he reads the game, is lightning-quick, has two feet and is a good passer. He just needs to be toughened up."
Ferguson admits "we could be" looking for a right-back partly because "it might be the end of August before Gary Neville is ready" following injury. Fulham's Steve Finnan is the reported preferred choice.
A deep-lying forward is also required. "We are weak up front with only three strikers, particularly with someone who can drop in [off Ruud Van Nistelrooy]. We would have loved to have taken Paolo Di Canio but at his age, 34, you would only be wanting a year at the most out of him. Understandably, he would be looking for more. [Diego] Forlan has been doing well; he's got youth, two great feet, exuberance and scored a terrific goal in the World Cup.
"Obviously with Van Nistelrooy and [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer we know we are going to get goals. In terms of lasting the pace, Van Nistelrooy will be much better this year. He's got stronger." Solskjaer, though, is not a natural complement to Van Nistelrooy. "Maybe not for the way United play but the record books will show you that last season the times they played together they scored plenty of goals."
As ever in Ferguson's garden, buds are blossoming. "Young boys have always taken pride of place here: O'Shea and [Michael] Stewart are breaking through, [Luke] Chadwick is getting stronger and there are younger ones who are looking fine like [Kieran] Richardson, [Danny] Pugh and [Paul] Tierney. Richardson is a good player. He was a West Ham schoolboy we took up here at 14. He's a left-sided midfield player who's tough and quick with good ability."
Richardson is one of many craving the limelight. For Ferguson, the fame side of the game has long ceased to appeal. "When I was young, like everyone else, all I wanted was my photograph in the paper or to sign my first autograph. 'Oh, that's great,' I thought.
"After a couple of years it wears off and all you want is anonymity, peace and getting on with the job. I like Thursday and Sunday nights in the house; I look on that as sanctity. I calm down and watch the telly. I'm not into the soaps; I like watching movies or sport." Preferably one sanctioned by Brazilians.
Squad rotation: Alex Ferguson substitutes David Beckham during the friendly against Parma
Understandably indignant, the Nevilles rose to the boss's bouncer. "Of course, it's a sport," they replied. To which Ferguson unleashed what he considered an unplayable delivery, demanding to know: "Do Brazil play cricket? No, soccer is their religion."
In Ferguson's eyes, it can only be a real team sport if the great Brazilians play it. "Apart from a bit of volleyball and basketball, the Brazilians' team sport is football. If you go down that Copacabana beach, it's five miles long and there are pitches all the way along it, floodlit at night-time. Brazilians play all the time."
The dream of financial security as well as glory stirs many Brazilians. "If there was a recession in England you might get that [hungry] Brazilian attitude," reflected Ferguson, a manager who so values mental toughness. "After the World Cup, we were talking about Brazilian players amongst the staff and I said 'right, write down one Brazilian player who didn't have the courage to want the ball all the time'. No one. Brazilians are born from the earth of their country to perform on the biggest stages."
Manchester United's manager praises traits in other teams that he fosters in his own: fearlessness, skill, pace and adventure. "The Korean and Japanese players at the World Cup had a freshness and energy that other players should be looking at in terms of enthusiasm to play the game.
"European players have become sophisticated to a point where they miss little details like 'get ruddy stuck in' and 'throw your head in'. There was a courage about the Koreans and Japanese which was good."
That was lacking in certain other World Cup sides. "France were the biggest disappointment and the Italian defenders had a nightmare. Cannavaro - one of the best defenders in the world - he was very disappointing. Nesta didn't look at home."
Domestically, Sir Bobby Robson's Newcastle United give Ferguson real pleasure. "I would have loved Newcastle to have won the League last year - for Bobby, for the changes he has made, for the person he is and for the way his team played.
"I love watching Newcastle; in front of their Geordie fans they can be sensational. They are the quickest team in the League: Craig Bellamy's a handful, Kieron Dyer is so quick and Nolberto Solano has done well. They have also bought a good player from Portugal in Hugo Viana."
Ferguson has also invested well, although Rio Ferdinand's fee escalated to £30 million as he shone in the Land of the Rising Sun. "We tried to buy Rio before the World Cup started. I was hoping he wouldn't have as good a World Cup to be honest!
"It was essential to get Ferdinand. Rio's not fazed by anything; he's young, very athletic and gifted fitness-wise. I met his mother and father and you can see certain traits there. He's a well-groomed boy. His young sister is exactly the same. They have been looked after well by the parents."
Ferdinand will be partnered by Laurent Blanc this season - "without question" - with Wes Brown and John O'Shea competing for the honour when Blanc departs in the summer.
"If Brown can stay clear of injury, he will be a top player. O'Shea is a tremendous talent: he reads the game, is lightning-quick, has two feet and is a good passer. He just needs to be toughened up."
Ferguson admits "we could be" looking for a right-back partly because "it might be the end of August before Gary Neville is ready" following injury. Fulham's Steve Finnan is the reported preferred choice.
A deep-lying forward is also required. "We are weak up front with only three strikers, particularly with someone who can drop in [off Ruud Van Nistelrooy]. We would have loved to have taken Paolo Di Canio but at his age, 34, you would only be wanting a year at the most out of him. Understandably, he would be looking for more. [Diego] Forlan has been doing well; he's got youth, two great feet, exuberance and scored a terrific goal in the World Cup.
"Obviously with Van Nistelrooy and [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer we know we are going to get goals. In terms of lasting the pace, Van Nistelrooy will be much better this year. He's got stronger." Solskjaer, though, is not a natural complement to Van Nistelrooy. "Maybe not for the way United play but the record books will show you that last season the times they played together they scored plenty of goals."
As ever in Ferguson's garden, buds are blossoming. "Young boys have always taken pride of place here: O'Shea and [Michael] Stewart are breaking through, [Luke] Chadwick is getting stronger and there are younger ones who are looking fine like [Kieran] Richardson, [Danny] Pugh and [Paul] Tierney. Richardson is a good player. He was a West Ham schoolboy we took up here at 14. He's a left-sided midfield player who's tough and quick with good ability."
Richardson is one of many craving the limelight. For Ferguson, the fame side of the game has long ceased to appeal. "When I was young, like everyone else, all I wanted was my photograph in the paper or to sign my first autograph. 'Oh, that's great,' I thought.
"After a couple of years it wears off and all you want is anonymity, peace and getting on with the job. I like Thursday and Sunday nights in the house; I look on that as sanctity. I calm down and watch the telly. I'm not into the soaps; I like watching movies or sport." Preferably one sanctioned by Brazilians.