Sir Alex Ferguson - Living legend

[Deez]

Happy Birthday boss! On a side note, it's probably the only birthday message that is apt to advertise that wine brand.

Speaking of, we never got that bottle of wine sorted did we

[king nothing]

I've been feeling pretty down since this tier 4 came into effect, but reminiscing on the feelings of pure joy this great man brought to my life. Never have I experienced such moments of pure excitement and happiness. Its fair to say, that as a Manchester United fan who has grown up with Sir Alex in charge I have been incredibly lucky. He is one of the reasons why I have the core of friends I do. We religiously would watch every game in the pub, at each others houses. The sheer joy of jumping around in the pub like maniacs after a big result will stay with me forever.

Thank you for being our gaffer.
Thank you for making the impossible possible.
Thank you for making me cry.
Thank you for making me scream.
Thank you for Cantona.
Thank you for the 92.
Thank you for Ronnie.
Thank you for that incredible night in Turin and the parade in town afterwards. I wish I could explain the feeling of being on the metrolink with 200 United fans that night. Amazing.

Happy birthday boss.
Sir Alex Ferguson.

[cantonaisgod]

Happy birthday boss thank you for everything ❤

[oscared]

[Rustin Cohle]

A worthy first trip back to the cinema!

[redcase]

New Amazon film coming out in May about Sir Alex post his brain trauma and surgery. Being directed by his son Jason.

Genuinely may cry watching it.

[redcase]

Feb 17, 2021 11:58:30 GMT Rustin Cohle said:

A worthy first trip back to the cinema!

BASTARD, literally seconds earlier.

[Tatty]

Still remember going to the Fergie talk at the Lowry after his retirement. Was a great evening, albeit brief. Man knows how to make you hang onto his every word.

[Chris]

http://instagram.com/p/CMmKUdzDaaF

Wow. What a manager!

[Rustin Cohle]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sir-alex-ferguson-wouldnt-even-talk-about-football-why-players-hearts-not-tactics-hold-key-to-the-art-of-management-dqx2hvmpj

‘Sir Alex Ferguson wouldn’t even talk about football’ – why players’ hearts, not tactics, hold key to the art of management

SPOILER: Click to show

The art of management takes many forms, as the present group of FA Pro Licence students including John Terry, Casey Stoney and Quinton Fortune have been learning at St George’s Park.

All come in with differing experiences and the FA encourages all participants to share their stories. Last week, Fortune sat upstairs in the rooms usually reserved for the England team, talking over a socially-distanced lunch with the young Arsenal coach Ryan Garry and the Plymouth Argyle manager Ryan Lowe, reflecting on their experiences.

All listened intently as Fortune, the former Manchester United player, spoke of the power of Sir Alex Ferguson’s team-talks. These often did not touch on the game but on the work ethic of shipyard workers and miners, the legacy of the Busby Babes, what United represent, the importance of making your family proud, all spiced with the occasional strongly worded “don’t let yourself down”. It’s the art of man-management.

“We were very fortunate because we had such a special manager,” Fortune said over lunch. “Even books I read now, the All Blacks book Legacy [by James Kerr], I’m thinking, ‘Boom, boom.’ There’s bits I recognise throughout.” Ferguson’s influence.

“He wouldn’t even talk about football. He wanted to know about your family. You’d run through brick walls for him after that. You’d train and the tackles would always be flying in. If you were playing Liverpool or Arsenal [next], then sometimes he’d have to stop the session because the tackles were flying in like crazy!”

Fortune saw how Ferguson adapted, less hairdryer, more arm-around-shoulder, but always challenging his players. “He knew what to say to every player, to Dwight Yorke, [Wayne] Rooney or [Cristiano] Ronaldo,” Fortune continued.

“He had to communicate with young players and he had softer people skills. He couldn’t go as strong as he did before. I was very fortunate to see the change, how he adapted to sports science, bringing in new coaches, Carlos Queiroz and Steve McClaren.”

He learnt the importance of a club and team culture from Ferguson. “The culture. That’s a goal for me as a young coach. That culture is there throughout the whole club. When you come to training, remembering everyone’s name, the behaviour of the players, behaviour of people around the club, that’s the family that he created.”

Fortune first arrived in England from South Africa as a 14-year-old at Tottenham Hotspur, and draws on all these experiences as he makes his first steps as a coach. “You try and remember bits and pieces, like the first thing I was told when I came to this country,” Fortune said. “Terry Venables told me when I was at Tottenham, ‘Practice makes permanent.’ People say practice makes perfect. No, no. Practice makes permanent. I saw Glenn Hoddle at Chelsea, the way he spoke to people, Raddy [Radomir] Antic at Atletico Madrid, God rest his soul.

“I’m very fortunate from my time at United because you turn up, you train, go home at 1.30pm. Then you see what a manager goes through and you’re thinking, ‘Oh my God.’ I never thought about management when I was playing, I thought I’d play forever.”

The FA Pro Licence has some impressive graduates, including Steven Gerrard. “Nothing you do on the course completely prepares you for the first job but you hope it helps,” said Guy Whittingham, the FA’s Uefa Pro Licence lead.

Garry, the former Arsenal and Bournemouth defender, wants to be a manager at the highest level. Now 37, Garry played once for the Invincibles alongside Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires and Thierry Henry so knows the standards that shape the very best. He works at Arsenal, initially with the youngsters and now as professional development phase coach and is highly regarded by the club. “My goal is to be a head coach,” Garry said. “I’m a believer in targets. It will be a journey. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow but I want to work towards an opportunity.”

Lowe is further down the road and has already experienced so much in three years’ in management, battling financial issues at Bury and winning promotion with Plymouth. “I think there should be a rule that you should get at least a full season,” Lowe says. “It’s so hard for young managers.”

He knows the art of management is the oratory and people skills of a Ferguson and decision-making under pressure. As part of his Pro-licence work, Lowe’s been out with the RNLI Looe lifeboat 15 miles west of Plymouth. “I’ve actually been out on a lifeboat already. It was bloody scary.

“How long do you think it takes from when they get a shout to when they get to the venue to get ready, put on all the big gear? Six minutes.

“That’s the route I’m going down. To make quick decisions on the two strikers who can’t hit a barn door. I’ve got two centre halves, I’ve got six minutes to decide on whether to change them. That’s the leadership skills and where I want to get to. They’ve got an exercise for me in a couple of weeks when I’ve got to get into the water. That will be an experience!” In at the deep end, like management.

[Chris]

Looks brilliant. Might actually go to the cinema to watch it

[redcase]

May 5, 2021 10:33:54 GMT Chris said:

Looks brilliant. Might actually go to the cinema to watch it

It does.

But if it's got anything to do with the Glazer's in terms of production I'm not spending a single penny on it.

[Chris]

May 5, 2021 10:47:45 GMT redcase said:

May 5, 2021 10:33:54 GMT Chris said:

Looks brilliant. Might actually go to the cinema to watch it

It does.

But if it's got anything to do with the Glazer's in terms of production I'm not spending a single penny on it.

Hmmm. Good point.

[Chris]

Super watch

[Monty]

Fuck me. I just scanned the thread title 'Sir Alex Ferguson - Tribute Thread', clicked, and because I wasn't logged in, it went to the first page where the first comments I saw were 'I'm in shock', 'I don't know what to say'... My heart jumped into my mouth for a few seconds...