Sir Alex Ferguson - What He Means To Me

"I can't believe it. I can't believe it. Football. Bloody hell." - Sir Alex Ferguson on the 1999 Champions League Final.

Coming from Leeds I see a bunch of people who, every week, find it inconceivable that you can support a team that isn't from the area you were born in. I find that notion ridiculous

I don't really need to explain myself, but I will...

I come from a family who aren't interested in sport and have absolutely no affiliation with Leeds United or any other team from the Yorkshire area. I didn't really experience football until I reached primary school. The first team I saw? Manchester United. A 4 year old with no previous footballing experience had the opportunity to watch and admire players such as Eric Cantona, Paul Ince, Peter Schmeichel, Denis Irwin, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Ryan Giggs, the Neville Brothers, Mark Hughes and Andy Cole. All these future United legends drew me into the club. I loved the way they played football, it was exciting and Old Trafford was an arena that dreams were made of. Plus, United wore red, my favourite colour. My fandom became superfandom, and I researched and learned the rich history and culture of the club for a huge Year Six project. It was pretty damn good. And now, almost 20 years later, I'm celebrating United's 20th title as closely associated with the club as I've ever been. So, the point in me telling you this? You CAN support a club that isn't from your area for a variety of reasons. For me, it was because I admired the players, the manager, the aura and the club were larger than life. So, suck it. On with the real subject.

"It's getting tickly now - squeaky-bum time, I call it."

Sir Alex Ferguson. Just the mention of the name is a polarising issue with football fans. United supporters LOVE him, many footballing fans and figureheads respect him, others just plain hate the man. Whether it's jealousy of his success, his forthright opinions or belief in the mythical 'Fergie Time,' everyone has an opinion on Ferguson. I'm a United supporter, so naturally I love the man. Why? He is a phenomenal manager. His ability to, time and time again, build successful Manchester United teams is nothing short of incredible. 38 trophies and countless runner up spots with Manchester United is historic , will never be replicated and shows the utter domination of United since Sir Alex's arrival. Hell, he even had a very successful stint at Aberdeen, you know. 

Fergie knows how to treat and deal with his players. He knows when he needs new blood and he isn't afraid to shuffle players out of the team who have begun to play for themselves. No manager could have had the same effect on Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, for example, who continue to have a positive effect on the club as they almost reach their 40's. His devotion to attacking football and placing his trust in young players is something that was put in place by Sir Matt Busby, and Alex Ferguson made sure that history and tradition ran red in his veins. His tactical awareness, squad maneuverability and footballing brain aren't the only qualities that make him a great manager. While old in age, Fergie was never a footballing dinosaur. One of Sir Alex's greatest skills was to move with football's times. Whereas it would be hard to imagine managers of old coping with some of today's more money-driven quirks, Ferguson adapted in his management techniques and tactically.

"My greatest challenge is not what's happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fucking perch. And you can print that." 

What endeared me to Sir Alex (and what made other people hate him) was the fact that he takes no shit. Sir Alex is a straight shooter. He ruled and anyone that challenged that rule was promptly moved on. It applied to the greatest as strictly as anyone else, Roy Keane, David Beckham, Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy being the prime examples of great players who suffered the wrath of Ferguson. However, it isn't accurate to suggest that Sir Alex ruled with an iron first. No one lived in fear of their manager, he just wasn't one to accept anything less from his players than he expected and made sure he told them. 

Sir Alex was a fantastic character. He had the ability to be calm, friendly and funny one moment before unleashing an angry tirade and verbally abusing media, players and officials the next. The infamous "hairdryer" treatment and fiery temper was all a part of his genuine undying passion for the game of football. This was never more clear than with his animation on the touchline. From shouting tactics to players to shouting at officials, Sir Alex was entertaining to watch. Of course, 'Fergie Time' became a thing because of his love for telling officials to add the correct amount of injury time and United's knack for scoring late winning goals. While it has been stastically proven that United get no more added time than any other club, and in fact less than a few others, I can't wait to see if we get 'Moyes Time' or 'Mourinho Time' in the future. In reality, United's undying strife to win (instilled by Ferguson) is what sets them apart.

"Do you think I would enter into a contract with that mob? Absolutely no chance. I would not sell them a virus. That is a 'NO' by the way. There is no agreement whatsoever between the clubs." - Ferguson on selling Cristiano Ronaldo

Are there any regrets for Sir Alex? Maybe so. He has had the opportunity to win a few more Champions League crowns that went begging, particularly when you consider the Old Trafford and Wembley finals and inability to beat Barcelona twice in recent years. I still think losing Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the biggest wounds in Ferguson's career. Who knows what more we could have accomplished with him still at the club. Manchester City winning the league under the circumstances they did must still be painful, despite regaining the title this year.

"Sometimes you have a noisy neighbour. You cannot do anything about that. They will always be noisy. You just have to get on with your life, put your televison on and turn it up a bit louder." - Sir Alex on Manchester City.

Being a mere 23 years old I may not have the right to say this, but I think Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager of all time. Not only because of his talent and success but also for his loyalty. 27 years at the helm is staggering when you consider how many managers other clubs have had in that time, here's looking at you Real Madrid, Chelsea etc. It really is hard to imagine football without him. He means so much to so many people and it will be a devastating blow to United fans and global football in general. He be forever enshrined at Old Trafford through his statue and no one is more deserving of such an honour. Since this is usually a pro wrestling blog, it's hard to imagine WWE without Vince McMahon, the same applies for Sir Alex and Manchester United. That's the only comparison I'll do. I promise.

As for who takes over? Moyes? Mourinho? Who's to say. Moyes would be more suitable for the stability that Manchester United need to be successful, however his lack of trophies and experience in huge European situations go against him. Mourinho is as big a character as Sir Alex and has had a successful career in short spells at a variety of clubs. If only we could morph Mourinho and Moyes together, we'd have the perfect manager.

"It's City, isn't it? They are a small club, with a small mentality. All they can talk about is Manchester United, that's all they've done and they can't get way from it." - Sir Alex Ferguson on Carlos Tevez's poster.

Sir Alex Ferguson, thank you. You have brought me a ton of joy, drama and intensity in my time as a Manchester United fan. You will never be replaced, always be admired and will become a historic and legendary figure long after you're gone.

"Look at me - it's taken 10 years off me today. It's these tablets, they're great!" - On winning title 20.

"This is what it is all about - a packed Old Trafford, the floodlights on, the pitch glistening and two of the greatest and most romantic clubs in the game about to do battle.

People ask me why I don't retire after so many years in the game, but how could anyone with an ounce of passion for football in their soul voluntarily walk way from the opportunity to be involved in this kind of occasion?"

Thanks for reading. If you're a fan of United, respect Sir Alex or just plain hate the man... you have an opinion. This is mine. I hope you can respect that and hopefully it has given you some insight into why I love the club.

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