While
we did not have the breathtaking finish of the 2011-2012 championship, there was
an air of privilege in watching arguably the greatest manager of all time take
charge of his final game.
A
modest Ferguson had stated earlier in the week that he was surprised that
Manchester United’s 20th league title had been greeted by even
wilder celebrations than the historic treble of 1999. The truth is, everyone in
Manchester, whether red or blue would do anything to have one last glimpse at
the man that helped make their rainy city the new capital of English football.
His
drive for success especially earlier in his Old Trafford career gave an
impression of a reign of terror that saw some star players that did not wholeheartedly
buy into Ferguson’s philosophy unceremoniously kicked out. He was renowned for
the “hairdryer treatment” dished out to players and yet many describe him as
the father figure they leaned on for professional and personal advice. While
his approach divided opinion, he succeeded in driving home the fact that no one
was bigger than the club.
Sometimes
considered arrogant for confronting referees or making strong statements
against what he considered contentious decisions, it is probably of little
surprise that Ferguson is very politically influential. His involvement with
the labor party is well documented and he has been a major activist against
policy that looked to bar Scots that lived elsewhere in UK from voting during Scottish
elections. How ironic that failure to make a statement in the face of
controversial refereeing that cost his side the most important game of his
final season (against Real Madrid) would be his last personal penalty in
football.
Ferguson’s
passion and strong will were not restricted to just football and politics. Now
that he is retired from football management, Ferguson will probably spend a lot
of time in a hobby that nearly cost him his job in 2004. A bitter row with major
United shareholder, John Magnier, over the ownership of racehorse Rock of Gibraltar demonstrated
how hard Ferguson can be to crack.
A
young 45-year old Ferguson was the fifth manager hired to try and replicate the
glory days of Matt Busby. Ferguson’s self-belief was highlighted when on his appointment
he had the audacity to declare that Manchester United would knock the mighty
Liverpool off their perch. The cheering voices in the crowd would hardly have
expected United to claw back a deficit of nine league titles during their
lifetime especially when Liverpool won two additional titles before Ferguson
won his first for United.
Ferguson
is a great motivator with a unique ability to transfer his belief to his troops.
A hallmark of Ferguson’s teams over the years has been their belief and fight
to the very end of matches. This was epitomized by the club’s most famous
victory with two stoppage time goals against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions
League final to deliver Britain’s only golden treble.
Success
for Ferguson at United did not come instantly and it is widely reported that he
was on the verge of being sacked in 1989 when his side finished just outside
the relegation places. Fergie, as he is fondly called, had spent three years
establishing an infrastructure and changing a club culture that would
fortunately for him deliver his first trophy during the next year. This
patience and attention to detail would offer great success for several seasons
to follow. How proud any surviving board members must feel for not succumbing
to pressure to sack him when they see Sir Alex Ferguson 1,500 games, 26 years
and 38 major titles later for United!
Perhaps
his greatest strength was his humility and willingness to continuously be a
student of the game. Ferguson has had a unique ability to reinvent himself and
United with each challenge. From the professor at Arsenal to the billionaire
owners at Chelsea and Manchester City, Ferguson consistently found a way to
make United find that extra gear to get then to the promised land. At twenty
league titles, United now proudly sit two above Liverpool and enjoy arguably
the strongest brand in all of team sport!
Ferguson
will without doubt be a great loss for the sport, but given his longevity and
achievements, it is a well-deserved break. It is a tearful good bye from the
multitude of fans he has established over the years but these should only be
tears of great pride at an incredible job delivered by a truly great man.
