After the 2011 CL final, Fergie replied to a reasonable question, considering Barca had Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Alexis, Pedro, Pique and the rest of them, of which one player would he take from Barcelona, by dismissing it and calling it the stupidest question he’s ever heard. There’s been many other instances too so this point is null and void.
Now, why didn’t journalists hit back at Fergie? Two reasons:
1) He was rightly respected around the world for his success, so journalists knew it was harder to have a go at him than Klopp for instance.
2) He would ban them and stop doing interviews with them, which again, he could afford to do due to the respect he had for his success. Klopp can’t do that just yet. Again, John Motson once asked about Keano’s disciplinary issues, another reasonable question, but Fergie simply stormed out and didn’t give him an interviewfor months after that.
3) Success breeds power, and Fergie has more achievements in his little toes than Klopp.