Flying teacups are no longer an essential part of the armoury. An intimidatory glower and a menacing word or two, offered with chilling calmness and authority, are now Sir Alex Ferguson's chosen weapons.
He favoured both yesterday to demonstrate to the footballing icons of Manchester United that, despite fancy cars and even fancier wages, they are no longer safe at Old Trafford, protected by their wealth and status.
If they do not perform - 'and reputations don't count' was perhaps the most significant rider in Ferguson's coldly applied assessment - they are out, the soccer sins of last season finally catching up with David Beckham and company.
The hurt in surrendering a double to Arsene Wenger's resurgent Arsenal has not been healed by a summer in the sun, or weeks of silent reflection. Fergie, in draconian mood, will clearly not tolerate another unfulfilled Premiership campaign from his £200 million team.
'We lost nine games,' he said. 'It won't happen again. We have the best players so we should always be favourites for the major trophies. The evidence of what you are, though, is always on the field.
'If they don't produce now there can be only one outcome. It's a hard business being at the top and only the very best can survive up there. That's why this is a very important season for us.
'This bunch of players have responded before; they have to respond again. Are they hungry enough? For them that question remains the challenge. You pick them, but they always drop themselves. That applies no matter who they are.
'Some get annoyed with themselves at the reality of failure. It is all about their drive and inner belief. Roy Keane is like that. Nothing would alter, even if he had billions. David Beckham is the same, no matter the hairstyle and what he is worth. Some others will take things for granted.
'All I can do is give them all a chance and have trust. People are talking about a shift in power. It's up to us to get back on track and win the League again, to swing the argument. All the finest players react in this situation.'
If they do not the brutal option, always just beneath the surface by the obsessively combative Ferguson, will be mercilessly employed.
'I'm sorry but it's not about reputations,' he confirmed. 'I'm the manager of the biggest club in the world with the biggest fan base in the world. My loyalty is to them. Of course, I have loyalty for the play-ers, too, but I have to produce a winning team.
'It won't be hard reaching the right decisions. A winning team is a winning team - you don't change that philosophy.
'That is where the decision-making comes in. Never once have I shirked the responsibilities of this job. I know damn well what winning the League means to this club.
'We went 26 years without it. Some of our supporters, and even some of the directors, have only known the dominant years. They have no memory of the times we were behind Liverpool and Arsenal. I have.'
Ferguson concedes he has 'an embarrassment' of midfield riches that complicates United's strategy.
His promise last night that Nicky Butt, whose World Cup heroics endorsed last season's impressive contribution, will start the season as Keane's competitive partner hardly eases the star-squabbling equation.
The manager explained: 'I can't keep leaving him out because he's an honest soldier who never complains at his fate - or because he is just Nicky Butt, the footballer with a lot of patience. He has added so much to his game, and I can no longer keep him out.'
That amounts, surely, to an exclusion clause for the likes of Juan Sebastian Veron, Paul Scholes - who flew home early yesterday with an injured right knee - and maybe Ryan Giggs.
'Seba is a marvellous footballer who doesn't become a bad player overnight despite what has been said,' reassured Ferguson.
'I'd rather have him than be without him. But this situation does give us problems, trying to combine all the players in the the side. It goes back to the point that performance is all important. Seba will be well aware of that, as the rest will be.'
Ferguson half blames himself for last season's failure in declaring his premature and later abandoned retirement. He felt it left a mood of 'relaxation', if not complacency, but warned: 'It won't be tolerated again. The demands are back on.'
We have got the message.
He favoured both yesterday to demonstrate to the footballing icons of Manchester United that, despite fancy cars and even fancier wages, they are no longer safe at Old Trafford, protected by their wealth and status.
If they do not perform - 'and reputations don't count' was perhaps the most significant rider in Ferguson's coldly applied assessment - they are out, the soccer sins of last season finally catching up with David Beckham and company.
The hurt in surrendering a double to Arsene Wenger's resurgent Arsenal has not been healed by a summer in the sun, or weeks of silent reflection. Fergie, in draconian mood, will clearly not tolerate another unfulfilled Premiership campaign from his £200 million team.
'We lost nine games,' he said. 'It won't happen again. We have the best players so we should always be favourites for the major trophies. The evidence of what you are, though, is always on the field.
'If they don't produce now there can be only one outcome. It's a hard business being at the top and only the very best can survive up there. That's why this is a very important season for us.
'This bunch of players have responded before; they have to respond again. Are they hungry enough? For them that question remains the challenge. You pick them, but they always drop themselves. That applies no matter who they are.
'Some get annoyed with themselves at the reality of failure. It is all about their drive and inner belief. Roy Keane is like that. Nothing would alter, even if he had billions. David Beckham is the same, no matter the hairstyle and what he is worth. Some others will take things for granted.
'All I can do is give them all a chance and have trust. People are talking about a shift in power. It's up to us to get back on track and win the League again, to swing the argument. All the finest players react in this situation.'
If they do not the brutal option, always just beneath the surface by the obsessively combative Ferguson, will be mercilessly employed.
'I'm sorry but it's not about reputations,' he confirmed. 'I'm the manager of the biggest club in the world with the biggest fan base in the world. My loyalty is to them. Of course, I have loyalty for the play-ers, too, but I have to produce a winning team.
'It won't be hard reaching the right decisions. A winning team is a winning team - you don't change that philosophy.
'That is where the decision-making comes in. Never once have I shirked the responsibilities of this job. I know damn well what winning the League means to this club.
'We went 26 years without it. Some of our supporters, and even some of the directors, have only known the dominant years. They have no memory of the times we were behind Liverpool and Arsenal. I have.'
Ferguson concedes he has 'an embarrassment' of midfield riches that complicates United's strategy.
His promise last night that Nicky Butt, whose World Cup heroics endorsed last season's impressive contribution, will start the season as Keane's competitive partner hardly eases the star-squabbling equation.
The manager explained: 'I can't keep leaving him out because he's an honest soldier who never complains at his fate - or because he is just Nicky Butt, the footballer with a lot of patience. He has added so much to his game, and I can no longer keep him out.'
That amounts, surely, to an exclusion clause for the likes of Juan Sebastian Veron, Paul Scholes - who flew home early yesterday with an injured right knee - and maybe Ryan Giggs.
'Seba is a marvellous footballer who doesn't become a bad player overnight despite what has been said,' reassured Ferguson.
'I'd rather have him than be without him. But this situation does give us problems, trying to combine all the players in the the side. It goes back to the point that performance is all important. Seba will be well aware of that, as the rest will be.'
Ferguson half blames himself for last season's failure in declaring his premature and later abandoned retirement. He felt it left a mood of 'relaxation', if not complacency, but warned: 'It won't be tolerated again. The demands are back on.'
We have got the message.