Sir Alex Ferguson has finally decided to step down as
manager of Manchester United. As an Arsenal fan, I’m not too sentimental.
I appreciate the fact that a change in management could
remove Man U from its perennial place among the Premierships apex, and it
pleases me that the Red Devils faithful must be pretty nervous right now, however,
I don’t really welcome this news with any type of euphoria. Instead, I find
myself indifferent yet slightly curious as to who will take his place.
It will be very difficult to replace a man who achieved so
much in England’s top flight over a very long career.
His biggest accomplishment in my opinion was getting
knighted. However more accurately, it was probably his winning longevity in
arguably the most competitive league in the world. From 1986 until now,
Ferguson has consistently remained competitive and successful in a game that
has continuously evolved and changed.
It is very easy for managers and even players to get lost in
the evolution of sports. With new technology, scientific advancements, and new
ways to think about the way the game is prepared and played, Sir Alex has not
only survived, but he has prospered while many of his ‘old boy’ counterparts
have faded away due to their archaic beliefs and philosophies.
He has done this by remaining open and receptive to change.
Sir Alex continually modifies and augments his backroom staff with people and systems
that provide dividends. In addition, he delegates many of his responsibilities
with respect to training and preparation to those with the most current
knowledge and proven methods, ensuring his teams are at pace or ahead of the
competition.
While his cohorts have remained resistant, defensive, and
afraid of change, Ferguson has welcomed it and utilized it to procure his longevity
and perpetual success.
His prolonged existence at one of the most decorated clubs
in Europe has not only come from his willingness to adapt, but also from his
ability to manage personalities.
Throughout his career, Sir Alex has had to evoke the best
out of some of the strangest and dim witted footballers on the globe.
He took Eric Cantona when France literally spit him out and
made him into a legend.
He turned Cristiano Ronaldo into a star before he went on to
the bright lights and tapas bars of Madrid and became ‘sad’.
He manages Wayne Rooney. I don’t even know if I could
understand Rooney let alone tell him how to play football.
At the highest level of the game, the players and their egos
make it difficult to provide an harmonious and effective on-field product, yet
Ferguson has managed to do it with great success and he has always known when
to let those egos and the players they come with go.
Sir Alex has seen plenty of superstars under his helm and
with only a few exceptions, he has always milked them for their best, and
passed them on right before their inevitable decline.
He sold Beckham when his best football was past him and Posh
Spice made him worry more about clothes and changing his hair than the pitch.
He used Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke brilliantly before
shipping them off when he realized they couldn’t perform at their pinnacle.
Like all managers he’s made some bad judgments on incoming
players (i.e. Dimitar Berbatov), however he’s succeeded much more than he’s
faltered. The discovery of Ronaldo alone should default all his errors.
In all likelihood, the aforementioned principles in his
departure will be overshadowed with his additions to Manchester United’s trophy
cabinet.
In his 27 years as manager, Sir Alex Ferguson has amassed 38
trophies and made Man U England’s most decorated domestic club, robbing
Liverpool of it’s long held English superiority.
He has been a great manager for many reasons. Manchester
United will miss him, their fans will miss him, the game might even miss him,
but I won’t. Unless of course he wants to manage Arsenal, in which case I’ll
love him.
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