▁their ▁joint - manager ial ▁role ▁that ▁very ▁season , ▁was ▁widely ▁believed ▁to ▁want ▁to ▁get ▁rid ▁of ▁the ▁" Sp ice ▁Boys " ▁ment ality ▁and ▁caval ier ▁att itudes ▁at ▁the ▁club , ▁having ▁told ▁many ▁players ▁they ▁were ▁sur plus ▁to ▁requirements ▁( including ▁Jason ▁Mc A te er , ▁Phil ▁B abb , ▁Rob ▁Jones , ▁St ig ▁B jor ne bye , ▁David ▁James ▁and ▁Paul ▁In ce ), ▁and ▁where ▁there ▁were ▁ex its ▁for ▁sevent een ▁other ▁players ▁who ▁would ▁leave ▁the ▁club ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁ahead . ▁While ▁stating ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁preferred ▁that ▁the ▁player ▁stayed , ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁club ▁had ▁to ▁respect ▁Mc Man aman ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁exercise ▁his ▁right ▁to ▁leave ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁contract ▁and ▁conced ed ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁player , ▁ultimately ▁stating ▁that ▁Mc Man aman ' s ▁departure ▁was ▁in ev itable ▁and ▁the ▁only ▁chance ▁of ▁keeping ▁him ▁would ▁be ▁if ▁he ▁( Mc Man aman ) ▁decided ▁to ▁sign ▁a ▁ 1 2 - month ▁contract ▁extension ▁having ▁failed ▁to ▁secure ▁a ▁move ▁to ▁the ▁club ▁of ▁his ▁choice , ▁saying : ▁" If ▁I ▁was ▁the ▁manager ▁of ▁Real ▁Madrid ▁– ▁or ▁Barcelona ▁or ▁any ▁leading ▁club ▁– ▁I ▁would ▁want ▁to ▁have ▁Steve ▁Mc Man aman ▁in ▁my ▁side ," ▁he ▁said . ▁Re ports ▁also ▁emer ged ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁stating ▁that ▁Mc Man aman ' s ▁decision ▁making ▁process