Despite being the most decorated manager in English football history, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says that even he is not immune from the possibility of losing his job. Having just turned 69 on New Years eve and completed 24 years at Old Trafford, Ferguson believes that in this day and age when club owners and fans demand constant success, managers can never afford to relax, citing the recent sackings of Sam Allardyce at Blackburn and Newcastle’s Chris Hughton as examples.
Talking to The People Sir Alex confessed that “Nothing surprises me any more and if I was to lose a few games people would be doing the same to me – no doubt about it. Three or four years ago people thought my shelf life was up and I was out of the door. That’s the way it is today.” Sir Alex responded to his critics at that time by going on to lead United to three championships in a row
“You can’t get upset about these things. It happens and there’s nothing personal about it. It’s just the burden a manager has to carry these days, the responsibility of having to win games, and it has got worse in the last 10 or 15 years” he says “you have a more discerning public, owner and media.”
Sir Alex remembers the old days when “Chairmen like Louis Edwards would sit in his office with a cigar all day. He’d say ‘Good game, lads’ when we’d lost 6-5. ‘Well, it was a wonderful game, boys’. You just don’t have that anymore. It’s more of a results industry than it’s ever been.”
“Fortunately, I’m at the right club but I’d like to see the day when the press starts talking about sacking players when things aren’t going right. They never do because the agent would be on the phone right away” he warns “players should be judged the same way as managers but they aren’t and of course, it’s not fair. But managers are on their own and they take great credit with how they keep their dignity and their resilience.”
The current tightly fought Premiership race in which a number of clubs are putting up a strong challenge pleases Sir Alrx “It’s terrific. All the top teams have genuine chances but my experience is that it cuts down to two. It would be fantastic if it stayed the way it is – it would be a great league. I’d relish that” he said. “In the last five or six years it’s been ourselves and Chelsea and before that it was always Arsenal and us.”
“This year more teams have emerged because you’ve got Tottenham and Manchester City making good challenges. Hopefully we will be involved in that dogfight right up to the last kick and if we are then we’ve got the experience to win it.” Ferguson fully expects reigning champions Chelsea to make a strong challenge.
“We expected Chelsea would be the team to beat” he said “they’ve hit a bad bit of form which we all get, but maybe they’ve had that at a good time because they’ve still got three or four months ahead of them. We expected Arsenal to improve because they’ve got younger players and we expected them to get better. They will all be bang in there.”
The wily Ferguson is obviously being overly dramatic in order to drive home his point of how insecure a managers life has become. He knows full well that there is more chance of the Glazers donating their billion pound club to charity then there is of them ever showing him the Old Trafford door.
Has the pressure forced upon managers become unreasonable?
dont think hes being overdramatic.. every set of supporters has its idiots and a fair few were starting to turn on him back then. remarkable thing is that were going through a similar transition with the team at the minute and still looking pretty strong.. bodes well for his next team
I say sack him immediately on Tuesday evening if we dont beat the Potters.
Its not good enough these 8 draws so far.Its pathetic.
The amount of money that has been invested in this team since the Glazer took over(2.1 Million net per season they deserve to take his head for the pityfull performances.Now wouldnt that little scenario delight a lot of non United fans and some diehard United fans.
They know where their bread is buttered though the canny Yanks.
I think he is speaking behind a veil regards the summary dismissal, and attempting to preserve some dignity for his son ex of Preston and highlighting the fact that time bares fruit.
I fear its not only the directors of Clubs that pressurise the hot seat but fans and media and the financial institutions, everybody.
It goes without saying there is a culture of sacking and a manager merry go round thereafter.
I think its best to look before you leap.Prime example I can think of that not so long ago stable Premiership side Charlton Athletic, now as we know NPower League one.
Man city as an example, I believe have had 17 managers in the time Sir Alex has
managed at Old Trafford, resulting in zero Silverware for the City fans, although much heartbreak and grief.
Chelsea 10 managers in 24 years, with limited success, although spent the wealth of a small African nation to achieve what they accrued.
Tottenham 20 managers in the comparable 20 years 1 Fa cup, 2 league cups and 1 Europa cup.
Bring it on Tuesday night, nothing other that a United win, or I want to see him swing. 🙂
any manager who thinks Gary Chuckle is worth a place in a
Manchester United eleven wants f-ckin sacking, i understand
about loyalty and all that boll-cks but the risk of losing
three valuable points is greater that playing that suck holing
b-stard
That Comment @ 10.17 is that for real?
It cant be a united supporter its surely some troll looking for a reaction!
Thats a disgrace to speak about a United legend like that.
Jaysus, give me strength.
Save me from the mentally challenged.
@thezonly1united.. highlighted my point brilliantly your exactly the sort of idiot i was refering to. i hear city are short on supporters might fit in better there
Agreed that often chairman, fans and the media are too quick to call for a managers head, and sometimes, as with Liverpool, the pressure they put on the manager so early on only results in a self-fulfilled prophecy. Saying that, I still think Hodgson should go.
But I’m sick of other managers using the “Fergie Excuse” when their job is under threat, i.e., highlighting that Fergie had a poor start and didn’t win anything for four years so give me time as well.
Well not every manager is Sir Alex Ferguson, and Fergie did actually finish second in the league in his second season. Showing “faith” in someone (which by its definition is irrational and not based on fact), can often be of detriment to a club/chairman. Middlesbrough showed too much faith in Gareth Southgate so as to not appear to be one of the “scum” that are happy to sack managers at the drop of a hat, and ultimately it cost them their Premiership status.
If a team is showing no sign of improvement whatsoever, them in some cases it is probably correct to sack a manager within a few months of his appointment. Of course we can’t see what could have been, so this can never be proved.