Twenty Golden Years - The Keys To Success …
There is a famous photograph in circulation of Alex Ferguson’s first match as United manager. It was taken at the Manor Ground, Oxford, during United’s two goal defeat in November 1986. Ferguson is seated on the team bench, his face fixed awkwardly between concern and downright rage. Seated alongside him, staring out onto the pitch, is United’s team bus driver Derek Sutton.
Whilst egalitarians everywhere will applaud United’s inclusive approach to staff relations, the photograph adds to an image of the club being a less than professional outfit in the mid 1980’s. United were not quite a pub team but there were rumours, now confirmed, of a strong drinking culture involving favourites like Paul MacGrath, Norman Whiteside and Bryan Robson. The United team - a strange mixture of complacency, despondency and injury – was capable of getting to a cup final or testing Liverpool’s supremacy on occasions but just didn’t have the over-all squad talent capable of ending United’s 20-year quest for the title.
United were crying out for new leadership. ‘Big’ Ron Atkinson had flattered to deceive. Howard Kendall, English football’s brightest managerial star, was under lock and key at Everton. Alex Ferguson had made a name for himself at Aberdeen but had already turned down big jobs at Wolves, Spurs and Arsenal when the call came from United. Most observers recognised anyone who could best Real Madrid in a European final and then go live on television to condemn his own team’s performance, would be man enough for the biggest job in football. But few would have been prepared to go on record and predict the astonishing and unprecedented success Alex Ferguson would deliver over the next 20 years at Old Trafford.
Ferguson has been helped of course, by the strong friendship he enjoys with Sir Bobby Charlton, who has proved a solid supporter through good times and through bad. No sooner had Ferguson arrived, than he began to immerse himself in United’s history. He seemed undaunted by the legacy of Sir Mat Busby. Indeed, away from the limelight, Ferguson picked up the threads of United’s traditional pursuit of youth and in so doing paved the way for a generation of footballing greats worth millions.
Folklore had it that the blue half of Manchester scooped up the region’s best youngsters. Sir Alex altered firmly that view and within a few years was able to introduce to the United faithful home-grown, world class talents such as Giggs, Beckham, Gary and Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.
Ferguson’s enthusiasm and dedication to the United cause are now legendary. His personal rigour and attention to detail are also qualities which have equipped him to take United to new heights. Football managers lead lonely, exclusive lives. Ferguson’s commitment is similar to that of his great rival Arsene Wenger, in that both give the impression of living for football.
There must have been many a wry smile in the Ferguson household when the United manager was pressed on his retirement plans earlier this season. “Retirement? You must be joking,” Ferguson said. “Especially when you consider that the alternative is to stay at home with that wife of mine. Cathy says if I retire, she’s heading back to Glasgow.”
Another key to Ferguson’s success at United has been his old-school insistence on the recognition by all of his unquestioned authority. He shares this with all of the managerial greats this island has produced – Busby, Shankly, Stein and Clough. The boozy environment of Old Trafford circa 1986-1989, must have held few terrors for a manager who was known to have fined a player for overtaking him on the motorway and who had already been tagged Alex Furious.
Ferguson has since been happy for his stern reputation to be embellished by tell-tale anecdotes from ex-United miscreants. Lee Sharpe recounts how Ferguson arrived unannounced to break up a party two days before a league game. Ferguson was also known to stake-out the homes of his players and to have a network of informers strung across Manchester, ready to let him know of their antics.
The United manager may be a nightmare for a young player fond of a night out but he is undoubtedly the best friend of any promising youngster ready to commit himself to excellence. Just look at the careers of Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and conversely, Lee Sharpe’s professional trajectory once he began to tire of Ferguson’s advice.
Ferguson’s uncompromising insistence on getting his own way, his ferocious temper and a certain paranoia, might have counted against his long-term survival as a manger, were it not for the fact that Ferguson was born to win. Ferguson has survived near-deadly fall-outs with Beckham, Stam, Keane, Ince, Kanchelskis and Strachan because of his remarkable ability to embrace a challenge and emerge victorious.
His greatest teams have always possessed the combination of fantasy and pragmatism that wins titles. Ferguson might give the impression that he would like nothing more than to build a team composed of players with the personality of Keane, Bruce, Irwin and Fletcher. Nevertheless, this is the man who signed Laurent Blanc and Juan Veron and persuaded the equally uncompromising Eric Cantona to join him at United.
Sir Alex chalks up 20 years as United’s manager tomorrow and health permitting, must burn with the ambition to surpass Sir Matt Busby’s record 25 years in the United hot seat. Through talent, energy and sheer force of will, Sir Alex has transformed United. At nearly 65 years of age, the manager shows no lack of resolve in his determination to re-make United and overtake Chelsea. United supporters, whatever their views of the manager’s ability to make good this commitment, have been treated royally by Sir Alex these past 20 years. We shall not see his like again. AU
© Copyright: Absolutely United 2006
