Sir Alex Ferguson was the last of the managerial tyrants
In an era defined by the whims of global ownership within professional football it is hard to imagine we will see his like again.
Arsene Wenger’s longevity is in its own way is admirable but the sustained achievements of Sir Alex Ferguson are unparalleled and epic in scale.
Whether you are red or a shade of blue in England, history will show Ferguson was one of the best British managers to span a fabled timeline from Herbert Chapman to Bill Nicholson, Bill Shankly, Sir Matt Busby, Jock Stein and any other number of managerial greats to prowl the touchline.
Ferguson was a firebrand, a force of nature; that drive and will to succeed, to go again in the wake of the latest triumph must have been instilled in him by his family and his upbringing in the tough working class areas of Govan.
All the anecdotal evidence from those players who were inspired by Ferguson’s work ethic and winning mentality suggest he mellowed in his later working life at Old Trafford; less of the hair dryer, more of the collegiate approach to his craft.
That may have come from a steady stream of titles and cups to sate the restless urge to prove himself, but it perhaps was also a recognition of the more cosmopolitan nature of the Premier League, the influx of continental talent, the development of the academy system, that contrive to produce a modern player who responds to a different incentive that avoiding the wrath of Alex.
Look from a distance at the Premier League now and you struggle to spot any firebrands who remotely resemble Ferguson at his raging best. Jose Mourinho may have his moments but Ferguson was a master.
The huge financial rewards bestowed on young men barely out of their teens, surrounded by coteries of advisors and management companies, create a detachment from not only supporters but the real world. Criticism is a dangerous tool for the modern manager to adopt.
There is the well-known story of the Premier League footballer who pinned an official club letter informing him he had been fined for a perceived misdemeanour to his training top in a flagrant disregard for the authority of the manager charged with imposing discipline.
Maybe Ferguson was indeed the last of his type. Now the vogue is to appoint young, hungry operators with the coaching and technical nous to extract the optimum from their own peer group, in many cases. Norwich City appointed 33-year-old Alex Neil in January to lead their Championship charge and his first act was to call time on his own playing days. There is still a place for man-management and psychology, but it is packaged within a consensual rather than confrontational outlook.
Men like Ferguson and Wolston’s academy chief Rob Duncan in One Shot at Glory hail from a different era; one where fear was a part of the toolkit and players deferred through sheer force of personality.
Football is a different game and the Glaswegian was astute enough to realise that when he stepped aside after building a legacy which is a testament to Ferguson the man as much as it is the manager.
Arsene Wenger’s longevity is in its own way is admirable but the sustained achievements of Sir Alex Ferguson are unparalleled and epic in scale.
Whether you are red or a shade of blue in England, history will show Ferguson was one of the best British managers to span a fabled timeline from Herbert Chapman to Bill Nicholson, Bill Shankly, Sir Matt Busby, Jock Stein and any other number of managerial greats to prowl the touchline.
Ferguson was a firebrand, a force of nature; that drive and will to succeed, to go again in the wake of the latest triumph must have been instilled in him by his family and his upbringing in the tough working class areas of Govan.
All the anecdotal evidence from those players who were inspired by Ferguson’s work ethic and winning mentality suggest he mellowed in his later working life at Old Trafford; less of the hair dryer, more of the collegiate approach to his craft.
That may have come from a steady stream of titles and cups to sate the restless urge to prove himself, but it perhaps was also a recognition of the more cosmopolitan nature of the Premier League, the influx of continental talent, the development of the academy system, that contrive to produce a modern player who responds to a different incentive that avoiding the wrath of Alex.
Look from a distance at the Premier League now and you struggle to spot any firebrands who remotely resemble Ferguson at his raging best. Jose Mourinho may have his moments but Ferguson was a master.
The huge financial rewards bestowed on young men barely out of their teens, surrounded by coteries of advisors and management companies, create a detachment from not only supporters but the real world. Criticism is a dangerous tool for the modern manager to adopt.
There is the well-known story of the Premier League footballer who pinned an official club letter informing him he had been fined for a perceived misdemeanour to his training top in a flagrant disregard for the authority of the manager charged with imposing discipline.
Maybe Ferguson was indeed the last of his type. Now the vogue is to appoint young, hungry operators with the coaching and technical nous to extract the optimum from their own peer group, in many cases. Norwich City appointed 33-year-old Alex Neil in January to lead their Championship charge and his first act was to call time on his own playing days. There is still a place for man-management and psychology, but it is packaged within a consensual rather than confrontational outlook.
Men like Ferguson and Wolston’s academy chief Rob Duncan in One Shot at Glory hail from a different era; one where fear was a part of the toolkit and players deferred through sheer force of personality.
Football is a different game and the Glaswegian was astute enough to realise that when he stepped aside after building a legacy which is a testament to Ferguson the man as much as it is the manager.
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