So where does he stand in the pantheon of managers? There is a tendency in this country to blindly proclaim him as the greatest of all time. I for one always believe the greatest managers are the ones who revolutionized the way we play and perceive the game, such as Rinus Michaels. Fergie will never be in that bracket for tactical genius has been the one gift he has never possessed (despite what others would have you believe). I also believe that Bob Paisley is still the greatest British manager of all time due to his astonishing record in 9 years (and still the only manager to win 3 European Cups).
Had Paisley carried on managing to Ferguson’s age he would have equaled his trophy haul, although this may be a biased view due to my Liverpool persuasion. His inability to convert domestic dominance into a European one will always be an indelible regret of his, although it must be noted that only an ethereal Barcelona team has stopped him from adding further Champions League’s. What is beyond doubt is his reputation as the finest British manager of the last quarter century and currently the best club manager in the world.
It’s nearly a decade since he flirted with the idea of retirement before seeing the light and accepting management was his Raison D`etre. Since then he has reinvented his team twice to keep United amongst the elite of football. Only the man himself will know when he wants to finally call it a day; his robust health and unabated desire suggest it will be a while yet. You only had to witness his handling of the Wayne Rooney saga to realise he remains on top of his game.
In the meantime we can speculate on his successor, but United fans will dread the day they have to say goodbye to the man who has been their primary catalyst. The rest of will be upset to see back of this veritable doyen. Like him or not no can take away Ferguson’s place from the upper echelons of management. Congratulations Fergie on 25 years of Charge of United!
Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.