Wally Meets... Mike Walters interviews Cardiff boss Malky Mackay and learns that Genoa cake is the key to Fergie's heart
Good breeding always shows, and Malky Mackay is a real chip off the old block.
His father played with Sir Alex Ferguson at Queen’s Park, and now Cardiff manager Mackay has discovered the fastest way to keep His Fergieness sweet: Look after his players on loan and serve him a slice of Genoa cake when he drops in.
Serial promotion near-miss specialists, Cardiff have made a fine start since Mackay arrived in June to discover Craig Bellamy, Michael Chopra, Chris Burke, Jay Bothroyd and Seyi Olofinjana had all flown the Bluebirds’ nest.
City won 1-0 at West Ham on the opening day of term with a side containing no fewer than eight debutants, and of those left behind, eight-goal Peter Whittingham has been reborn as a midfield play-maker.
Today, Cardiff play Nottingham Forest, in a battle of last season’s beaten play-off semi-finalists, with Mackay’s reputation for progressive, low-altitude football buttressed by a seven-match unbeaten run.
Headhunted in the summer, after two years of near-miracles on restrictive budgets at Watford, he has enjoyed a hotline to Ferguson’s office at Manchester United, reinforcing a family bond dating back half a century.
Mackay, 39, said: “My father played with Sir Alex at Queen’s Park, and he’s still a director of the club now. Sir Alex has never forgotten his roots, and he has been back to Hampden for special events.
“When I was at Watford and we played at Old Trafford, he phoned up and invited my father down to the game. He invited him to meet up afterwards, which they did.
“My dad’s been at Hampden, as player, coach or on the board, for nigh-on 50 years now, so they exchanged a few stories about old times and he brought Sir Alex a new Queen’s Park tie, which went down very well.
“As a manager, I’ve already been lucky enough to extend the family connection by borrowing one or two of Sir Alex’s players on loan.
"Maybe it’s because he’s known my dad all these years, maybe it’s a bit of Scottish solidarity, but he knows I’ll look after his boys.
“We took Tom Cleverley for a season at Watford, sent a monthly dossier back to Old Trafford with DVDs, stats, medical records and fitness data. By the time he went back, he was ready to play in the Premier League – last year at Wigan, and now with his parent club.
"It’s never a bad thing for a first-time manager if someone of Sir Alex’s stature trusts you with his players.
“Whenever I bump into him, he’s always happy to give me his time - but you don’t speak to him, you just listen.”
Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Mackay is a disciple of Fergie’s high standards off the pitch.
He saw good manners at work when United borrowed Watford’s training ground one Sunday morning, and it made a lasting impression.
“United had played Spurs in the late kick-off on Saturday and they were flying to Turkey the following day for a Champions League game,” said Mackay.
“They asked if they could use our training ground for a warm-down on the Sunday morning and, of course, we were only too happy to oblige.
“I called in at the petrol station and grabbed a pint of milk and some of his favourite Genoa cake just in case he popped into my office, which he duly did.
“First thing he said was, ‘Ah, magic, you’ve got Genoa cake!’ before we had a cup of tea and watched United’s training session.
“But the lasting impression I had was of the way his squad got off the bus looking immaculate as you would hope they would. They left the dressing room spotless and the players all thanked our staff.
“Sometimes you look at young players at other big clubs and their attitudes stink.
"They might be turning up in ripped jeans, or with headphones on.
“But Sir Alex drives that club from the top, and you can see it in the way his players act like professionals.
"That’s what I tell my players now – don’t just be a professional, act like a professional.”
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