The 2011 Red Sox are not the only team that ever had problems in the clubhouse. Every team, every season has some problems, be it insubordination or fighting between players, or whatever. We just don't hear about the vast majority of them because FO's prefer to keep those matters out of the press, and for good reason.
As others have said, Francona's approach in handling his team worked very well, up until this past season, and even then, it worked until September.
Whipping the players in line isn't going to work if the players end up not trusting or respecting the manager. Players don't necessarily have to like their manager, but their has to be respect and trust. If I were a player on this team, even someone like Pedroia who is not part of the problem, I would not trust Valentine based on what I've seen and heard so far. A really good manager would be able to keep the players in line without having to make the issues public.