This all culminated during the next season, which saw United lose away at Manchester City, with a run of shocking results in late and early There were widespread calls for Fergie, a manager with a fantastic track record at St Mirren and Aberdeen, to be fired. We will never know the truth, but Ferguson has stated that his job was never at risk. Either way, Fergie kept his job; United went on to win the FA Cup, but finished 13th in the league, a mere five points above the relegation zone.
Still, the FA Cup win allowed them into the Cup Winners' Cup, which they won after beating Barcelona, and finished the next season in a promising sixth position. Ferguson, already in his sixth season as Manchester United manager, led his side to second position in the competition, but Ferguson was disappointed; they had let a comfortable lead slip and lost out to rivals Leeds United.
A brilliant second half to the season, catalysed by the arrival of Eric Cantona, took the Manchester club to their first league title in 26 years. No other team has managed to challenge for the league title on such a consistent basis. The point is that it took Ferguson seven seasons to win a league title. In the modern game, it is unlikely that Ferguson would have been given time to prosper, to play the long game.
This raises a question. What if managers today were given that chance? Could Steve Kean, the much-maligned Blackburn manager, turn out to be the man to take Blackburn back to the top of the Premier League.
Instant success is the name of the game, and that is not necessarily a good thing. Take my club, Portsmouth, who were not prepared to wait, build slowly and improve their financial base. The club traded an FA Cup for relegation and bankruptcy. Was it worth it? They have huge financial clout, and have quickly risen from mid-table anonymity to Champions League football and global recognition.
They will not go the same way as Portsmouth for a whole host of reasons, but the thirst for success is the same. Chelsea are yet to find managerial stability, and City, while they are heading in the right direction, are yet to do so either. A solid base is needed, or eventually the tower will topple.
Who knows if it will happen to City or Chelsea, but a slow build with a good manager would certainly have saved money. Things are worse on the continent. The Scot had enjoyed great success north of the border at Aberdeen, but had no experience in England as a player or manager.
Sir Alex sits alongside chairman Martin Edwards, at his very first United press conference. However, once the man from Govan had helped the Reds to a first major trophy — the FA Cup — he never looked back. And what followed was over 20 years of near unbroken success, encompassing 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and five FA Cups. I would have to build from the bottom up, rectifying the flaws I had recognised and spreading my influence and self-belief through every layer of the organisation.
All had to believe that they were part of the club and that a resurgence was coming. The new manager tries on the club merchandise for size. He is 76 years old. But if they can't get Sir Matt Busby, it is obvious that they must look for someone with almost all that marvellous man's qualities — reaching for the lot would be asking for a bit much. His legacy as the most successful football manager in British history was secured not only by the number of trophies he won but also by how he transformed the club and helped them to become one of the greatest global teams of all time.
His ability to build numerous successful squads over the years, blending home-grown talent with global superstars, has seen Ferguson overcome the doubters at many points during his tenure. While fans were sad to see succesful players such as Paul Ince, Andrei Kanchelskis, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo leave the club, Ferguson always knew how he would bring new talent in.
More often that not, another trophy-winning season would follow. Just some of the remarkable statistics applicable upon his retirement in May include a total of 49 major trophies won under his guidance, 24 players who have graduated through the United academy and have gone on to play for some of the best clubs in Europe, and a record number of 28 wins in a Premier League season in , and Since being one of the inaugural managerial inductees to the National Football Museum Hall of Fame in , he went on to win a further 17 trophies for his club.
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