Sir Alex Ferguson – The greatest manager of all time
Sir Alex Ferguson spent 26 seasons as the manager of Manchester United and established the club as a powerhouse of domestic and European football.
His record tally of 13 Premier League titles is unlikely to be surpassed and is a feat which deservedly earned him legendary status at Old Trafford.
However, Ferguson’s impact on the Red Devils undoubtedly extended way beyond the amount of silverware he loaded into the club’s trophy cabinet.
With that in mind, we look at what United won with Ferguson in charge before assessing how his methods turned the club’s fortunes around.
Sir Alex Ferguson – Manchester United trophies
- Premier League: 1992/93, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2012/13.
- FA Cup: 1989/90, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1998/99, 2003/04.
- League Cup: 1991/92, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2009/10.
- Community Shield: 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011.
- Champions League: 1998/99, 2007/08.
- European Cup Winners’ Cup: 1990/91.
- UEFA Super Cup: 1991.
- Intercontinental Cup: 1999.
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2008.
Laying the foundations
Having knocked Celtic and Rangers off their perch in Scottish football with Aberdeen, Ferguson set about doing the same to Liverpool with United.
One of the first areas he addressed was the club’s youth programme, establishing to Centres of Excellence designed to develop a new wave of talent.
His initiative soon paid dividends, as several youngsters forced their way into the first-team squad during the early 1990s. Many of them went on to become club legends.
Former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen famously said that ‘you can’t win anything with kids’, but was proved spectacularly wrong by Ferguson.
Ferguson’s decision to improve the youth system created a broader culture in which pulling on the Man United started to matter again.
The players who came through the system became the heartbeat of the club, and their efforts unquestionably influenced others who joined from elsewhere.
Taking big decisions
As befits a manager who delivered so much success to the club, Ferguson was renowned for not being afraid to make big decisions.
He recognised the importance of evolution in football and was not afraid to cut players loose if he thought they had gone past their sell-by date.
He built five different title-winning squads at Old Trafford without ever sacrificing the club’s desire to keep winning major silverware.
Throughout his time in the United hot seat, Ferguson was an advocate of always looking to the future rather than resting on his laurels.
One of the most important decisions he made was the acquisition of Eric Cantona from Leeds United. He arrived with a troubled reputation but was an inspired signing.
While Ferguson did not get every decision right – selling Jaap Stam was the most noteworthy example – his decisiveness generally paid dividends.
Keeping everyone focused
Instilling ‘character’ into the dressing room played a key role in United’s success – in simple terms, he wanted his players to work hard and be winners.
Cantona fitted into this ethos and the standards he demanded had a knock-on effect on the rest of the squad. The same applied to numerous other players.
Roy Keane was another player whose winning attitude became infectious. Slacking was not tolerated during training or competitive matches.
Ferguson insisted his players remained focused during training, as what the players do during their preparation for games manifests itself on matchday.
His methodology repeatedly paid dividends as United became famed for showing a never-say-die attitude in every match they played.
The 1998/99 Champions League final against Bayern Munich highlighted that point to perfection, as United scored twice in stoppage time to clinch the trophy.
Maintaining control
Legendary Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough was famed for having unequivocal control over his players, and Ferguson was carved from the same stone.
He would take action if he felt a player had stepped out of line, regardless of their status in the first-team squad.
Stam’s acrimonious exit from the club is a perfect example of this in action, while Keane’s departure after he publicly criticised his teammates was similarly brutal.
Ferguson applied the same ethos to Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was quickly shipped off to Real Madrid after expressing dissatisfaction at being benched.
Ultimately, Ferguson was the boss at United and his authority could not be challenged. His personality was always stronger than anyone else’s.
This ensured that United always remained more important than any individual and is a mantra which the club lost somewhat after Ferguson retired.
Be willing to adapt
Given that Ferguson was in charge for 26 seasons at United, it is natural that the football world evolved significantly during that time.
Ferguson was adept at recognising and adapting to those changes, often much quicker than many of rival managers at home and abroad.
For example, he was the first manager to use the League Cup as a platform for young players to shine, thus boosting their development and reducing the workload on others.
He was also an early adopter of sports science techniques, with performance analysis and sleep pods among the innovations he championed.
Ferguson was not afraid to delegate to experts in those particular fields, although it was clear that they remained answerable and accountable to him.
His overall managerial style helped United enjoy an unprecedented level of success on the pitch and also established the club as a hugely successful commercial brand.
