20 Years Not Out

TheMonster

Sir Alex celebrates 20 years at United today and it is only fitting that they are top of the table at them moment. Without doubt the greatest manager in my lifetime(of any team), been supporting them since 1983.

Please keep this a tribute to Fergie thread - ABUs if you want to bash him start another.

Some Quotes from the football world.

MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYERS PAST AND PRESENT"If you think about another man being there it just wouldn't seem right because he's been there for that long now. He's got the job off to an absolute tee because he's done it for so long and has moulded things around him being there"
Former striker Mark Robins
"I am pretty sure when he does go, he will want it to be on a winning note. But when he goes, it will be very eerie around here and something I don't really want to think about"
Defender Rio Ferdinand
"The thing is, you can't imagine life at United without him. One day it will happen, we are all aware of that, and when it does it will be a great shame because of what he has achieved here. But it won't be soon, because he is still desperate to win trophies"
Midfielder Paul Scholes

"It wouldn't surprise me if he carried on for five to 10 years longer. Why should he leave? He's as determined as ever. It's a continual challenge at this club, that will keep him young"
Captain Gary Neville

"His determination to be the best is constantly on show - even when we're watching The Weakest Link in our hotel he wants to win. He's a one-off and will rightly go down as the greatest ever manager"
Defender John O'Shea

"For him to keep going is remarkable. He stands out with his will to win, he knows football, he knows his players and he knows his own club inside-out"
Former United captain Roy Keane

"He is a man with a mission, Manchester United through and through. I'd say his drive was more important to our success than anything else"
Former United midfielder David Beckham in his 2003 autobiography, My Side
"He expected standards to be high and if you didn't reach those standards or you let them slip he would be quick to remind you. He is a fantastic man-manager and great to work under"
Ex-United defender Denis Irwin



PREMIERSHIP MANAGERS"When you think that the average life of a manager is one year and seven days, and somebody has done 20, it is a remarkable achievement. I feel we had some heated times - but time will settle things and there is a respect there now"
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

"I once rang him up and was on for 10 minutes about players and he told me about every player, their strengths and their weaknesses. I put the phone down and I said 'I bet he even knows the Dunfermline groundsman' so I rang him back and said 'Hey Alex, I forgot to ask you about the Dunfermline groundsman' and, by God, he did know his name and where he came from!"
Sheffield United's Neil Warnock

"I believe that Sir Alex is number one in England and one of the top two or three in the world. I have found him a nice person, you can talk to him without any problems
Liverpool's Rafael Benitez

"I know the pressure he has had to endure over such a long period, so for him to keep driving himself forward and driving his team forward is a fantastic achievement"
Blackburn's Mark Hughes

"You have to hold your hands up and say Sir Alex is the number one. He has been at the top for 20 years. His desire is unstinting, his passion and will to win fierce"
Wigan's Paul Jewell

"He is a shining light for any young manager who wants to progress. He is probably second to none for what he has done but you can still see that burning ambition in his eyes"
Manchester City's Stuart Pearce

"For what he knew was going to be a massive occasion, to change a player he had previously shown a massive allegiance to, showed that cold, cutting edge that all top managers need"
Reading's Steve Coppell on Ferguson dropping Jim Leighton ahead of the 1990 FA Cup final replay against Coppell's Crystal Palace

"He is the standard bearer for everyone in terms of management. You have to be a very special character to have that amount of success at a club like Manchester United"
Middlesbrough's Gareth Southgate

"Sir Alex is someone I have a great deal of respect for, and someone I would look to emulate one day. If I could match his record it would be fantastic"
Watford's Adrian Boothroyd

"Sir Alex is someone I certainly look up to because he is the one who wins things. He epitomises everything you need in football - stability and continuity, and United believed in him"
Everton's David Moyes

"I'll tell you why he's stayed in the game so long - he just loves it so much. It gets in your blood and you take the job home with you. He's a fantastic character, a top-class manager and a good man"
Portsmouth's Harry Redknapp



OTHER TRIBUTES FROM THE FOOTBALL WORLD"At the end of United's Treble-winning season in 1999, we were having a cup of tea at the training ground and he was already talking about what was needed for the season after. That's how he's been so successful!"
England manager and ex-United assistant boss Steve McClaren

"He is the best manager of his generation for me. I just know he is a special, special man - I knew he would be a success at United - absolutely no danger"
Celtic boss and ex-Man Utd winger Gordon Strachan

"People did not know how much he used to watch the youth team when the like of the Nevilles, Butt, Scholes and Beckham were in it, he knew every player well. Nobody at Old Trafford thought you could emulate Sir Matt Busby or beat his record. But Sir Alex did and that tells the tale"
Former United youth coach Eric Harrison

"His daily workload is quite extraordinary. It requires as much mental and physical effort you can possibly have. Yet it doesn't seem like he wants to relax"
League Managers' Association chief executive John Barnwell

bucks73

The same for me...greatest manager ever. Been travelling over since 1985 and highlight of my life was being in the Nou Camp on May 26th 1999. Will never forget it.

I have been and can still be quite critical of him but have never called for him to be given the sack when others have over the past few seasons. The improvement in the team over the past 2 seasons is once again proof of his class.

wheres me jumpa

There was a great piece in the Indo by James Lawton on Saturday. There was one incident he mentioned that I cant remember. He said Ferguson "is the man who said he had little compassion for a rival who was diagnosed with cancer".

Who was this in reference to?

Carcharodon

I think buck73 hit the nail in the head, we can and have all been critical of Ferguson over the years in regards to players bought/sold, tactics, personality etc but no one can argue with Fergusons record and with the success he has brought to United and Aberdeen.
Whether you love him or hate him, you will always respect him and value him for what he has brought to the game.

Jivin Turkey

To spend 20 years at a single club is an incredible record, but not surprising given the huge success he has brought to United.

In a time when most of the top European clubs like to chop and change their managers at the first inclination of a downturn in fortunes Ferguson defied the odds, when he was almost on the receiving end of the bullet, to go on to build one of the best English football sides ever. Even as a Liverpool fan I can look back and only admire the way the they clawed back in the CL final, and even I get goosebumps watching it (although I was sick to my stomach at the time! ).

He has nothing left to prove in the game.

I still think though talk of being the best ever are over the top, but definitely one of the best we have seen.

BaZmO*

wheres me jumpa wrote:

There was a great piece in the Indo by James Lawton on Saturday. There was one incident he mentioned that I cant remember. He said Ferguson "is the man who said he had little compassion for a rival who was diagnosed with cancer".

Who was this in reference to?

You say that there's one incident that you can't remember and then go on to quote him anyway, saying something quite nasty.
I think you make sure that you can back something up before you go on to quote someone saying something so imflammatory.

Jivin Turkey wrote:

He has nothing left to prove in the game.

I think Ferguson would disagree with you on that one. He wants to win the Champions League again.

wheres me jumpa

BaZmO* wrote:

You say that there's one incident that you can't remember and then go on to quote him anyway, saying something quite nasty.
I think you make sure that you can back something up before you go on to quote someone saying something so imflammatory.

I cant remember, as in I cant remember it happening. I can remember the quote from James Lawton in the Indo on Saturday. So please take your issue up with James Lawton.

Rather than open a new thread I thought Id mention it here seen as most of the people would have read the tributes over the weekend. Ill be sure to run my future posts by you in future.

tbh

he's no Bob Paisley.





Football is a results-driven business, and you can't argue with his results. He's brought - what - three, four teams through now? respec'

Nalz

Fergie - Simply the best

BaZmO* wrote:

You say that there's one incident that you can't remember and then go on to quote him anyway, saying something quite nasty.
I think you make sure that you can back something up before you go on to quote someone saying something so imflammatory.

What??

the way I read WMJumpa's post is that he found the entire "piece" in the paper interesting, then asked a question (which is a part of a dicussion, which is what boards is really about).

Who wee wee'd in your allbran?

bucks73

wheres me jumpa wrote:

There was a great piece in the Indo by James Lawton on Saturday. There was one incident he mentioned that I cant remember. He said Ferguson "is the man who said he had little compassion for a rival who was diagnosed with cancer".

Who was this in reference to?

Heres the paragraph that contains the remark:

Innocence in the man who at times has seemed to wish for nothing more than the imposition of a rule of terror on all of English football? A man for whom loyalty has never been fashioned by sentiment but need - ask Roy Keane, ask Gordon Strachan, ask Jaap Stam, and, supremely, a David Beckham who thought he had reached the stage when he could operate at Old Trafford on his own terms? A man who could cry conspiracy at the mere run of the ball? A man who once confessed to not feeling an ounce of compassion when a sworn enemy was diagnosed with cancer because to do so would compromise his idea of his own honesty?A man for whom ferocious partisanship has been not a tendency but a deeply ingrained way of life?


Full article:
http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/comment/article1953703.ece

wheres me jumpa

Nice one bucks,

My query is who is the comment in relation to?

BaZmO*

wheres me jumpa wrote:

I cant remember, as in I cant remember it happening. I can remember the quote from James Lawton in the Indo on Saturday. So please take your issue up with James Lawton.

Rather than open a new thread I thought Id mention it here seen as most of the people would have read the tributes over the weekend. Ill be sure to run my future posts by you in future.

Relax the kaks. I wasn't looking for an argument. I was only saying that I thought it was a bit strange/odd that you would go on to quote someone saying something so serious what actually supplying the proper source/article. Anyway, no harm done.....

bucks73

wheres me jumpa wrote:

Nice one bucks,

My query is who is the comment in relation to?

Had a google but didnt find anything. Did find his mother died of lung cancer in 1986 so maybe this thing happened before that date. Could have something to do with being sacked from St.Mirren or leaving Rangers as a player but Im only guessing.

BaZmO*

bucks73 wrote:

Had a google but didnt find anything. Did find his mother died of lung cancer in 1986 so maybe this thing happened before that date. Could have something to do with being sacked from St.Mirren or leaving Rangers as a player but Im only guessing.

Or could be complete BS? Who knows?

Nunu

I'm not positive about this, but I think the remark was about an official at Rangers in his time there. I remember Ferguson saying it in a programme about himself a few years ago. Ferguson basically described the guy as a bigot who made his life a misery and ran him out of the club just because he was married to a catholic girl.

I hope I haven't got that horribly wrong but that's how I remember it.:o
I'll have a quick scan through his biography later and see if it's mentioned anywhere.....

Edit: The guys name was Willie Allison - P. R. officer at Rangers. The qoute referred to is: 'Willie Allison had stopped to tell me he had cancer. I know it is a terrible thing to say, but I did not have a crumb of pity for him.'
Pg 105 Alex Ferguson: Managing My life.

Ardent

To the original poster, what's the purpose of this thread? Do you want us all proclaim what a great guy he is, that he's greatest manager ever and if we don't agree shag off elsewhere?

Sorry but, good manager and all that he is, for all the good things he done for Manchester United FC, he's still some way short of what Bob Paisley achieved (and in a much shorter spell).

BaZmO*

Ardent wrote:

To the original poster, what's the purpose of this thread? Do you want us all proclaim what a great guy he is, that he's greatest manager ever and if we don't agree shag off elsewhere?

Sorry but, good manager and all that he is, for all the good things he done for Manchester United FC, he's still some way short of what Bob Paisley achieved (and in a much shorter spell).

Ah would you stop FFS!!

The point of the thread is to mark a milestone of one of the most succesful and consistent managers in the history of football and if you can't see that without making snidey comments you're at best blind at worst a fool.

Jivin Turkey

BaZmO* wrote:

I think Ferguson would disagree with you on that one. He wants to win the Champions League again.

I'm sure he does, but whether he does or does not, he still has nothing to prove to anyone IMO.

But perhaps it is something he must do before he is touted as "the best ever".

yop

A genuis of his time, to bring 3 different teams to league titles and dominate English football for the guts of 12 years.

Hats off, his will to win is 2nd to none, even at his age

kinaldo

As much as I dislike him, he has my total respect for what he's accomplished.

SCULLY

BaZmO* wrote:

Ah would you stop FFS!!

The point of the thread is to mark a milestone of one of the most succesful and consistent managers in the history of football and if you can't see that without making snidey comments you're at best blind at worst a fool.

Who the fcuk rattled your cage? Nobody here has slagged off ferguson and yet you are jumping down their throats if they don't agree that he should be crowned King of the World.


Anyway, my 2c (as a Chelsea fan). Undoubtably a brilliant manager, great tactician and the master of mind games (Id love it if we beat them!). Flaws - some extreemly unusual transfers and like Jose, a crap looser who blames everyone but themselves (grey shirts anyone) and managed even to fall out with his own clubs tv station.

Has left an indemable mark on the premiership and 20 years at the same club these days has to be applauded

BaZmO*

SCULLY wrote:

Who the fcuk rattled your cage? Nobody here has slagged off ferguson and yet you are jumping down their throats if they don't agree that he should be crowned King of the World.

Did you even read the post that I was replying to? :rolleyes:

SCULLY

BaZmO* wrote:

Did you even read the post that I was replying to? :rolleyes:

No .... I just decided to post at random...... (can you detect sarcasim without my resorting to smilies?).

From what I read you had a pop at two posters, one of which was for quoting an atricle which the op said he didn't know what the actual incident referred to (you also dismissed it as potentially bs but strangly didn't comment when the incident was referenced in an af biography). The second was when someone else questioned as to why the thread was started in the first place and commented that he thought ferguson was not as good as Paisly.

So in answer to your question yes i did read the posts that you were replying too and my original post was in response to your combined replies...insert smilie as applicable....

BaZmO*

SCULLY wrote:

From what I read you had a pop at two posters, one of which was for quoting an atricle which the op said he didn't know what the actual incident referred to (you also dismissed it as potentially bs but strangly didn't comment when the incident was referenced in an af biography).

Well excuse me for not noticing an edit that was made after my "potential BS" comment.

SCULLY wrote:

The second was when someone else questioned as to why the thread was started in the first place and commented that he thought ferguson was not as good as Paisly.

I still stand by what I said. If he couldn't see the significance of marking a manager's 20 year stint as one of the the top club managers in the world well then I'm at a loss as to see what else he thought was the purpose of the thread. It's hardly a Fergie "love in".

SCULLY

BaZmO* wrote:

Well excuse me for not noticing an edit that was made after my "potential BS" comment..

Well, now that you have seen the edit, care to comment as to whether it is bs or not?

BaZmO* wrote:

I still stand by what I said. If he couldn't see the significance of marking a manager's 20 year stint as one of the the top club managers in the world well then I'm at a loss as to see what else he thought was the purpose of the thread. It's hardly a Fergie "love in".

TheMonster wrote:

Please keep this a tribute to Fergie thread

Sounds suspiciously like a Fergie "love in" to me....

Nalz

:rolleyes:

BaZmO*

SCULLY wrote:

Well, now that you have seen the edit, care to comment as to whether it is bs or not?

Well obviously it's not BS.

Did you really need me to point that out to you?

SCULLY wrote:

Sounds suspiciously like a Fergie "love in" to me....

Tribute = Love In?

Ok. If you want it to be that than so be it. But if that is the case why did he have to ask the OP what was the point of the thread if it was that glaringly obvious?

Nalz

lads i know this is a dicussion forum/site but this is extremely OTT.

I think the person who started this thread wanted a tribute / memories / favourite moments on Alex Ferguson and kindly suggested and asked if anyone wanted to slate him simply start up another. To me this is the same as habving Man Utd, Arsenal, Newcastle and Leeds threads. I know he wanted it all Pro...but I believe his reasons for asking this was to stop these somewhat pointless arguments happening

now I hope not (and I apologize OP if it does) that me stating this puts more fuel on the fire...

SCULLY

BaZmO* wrote:

Well obviously it's not BS.

Did you really need me to point that out to you?

Seeing as it was you who brought the referenced original article into question I thought that perhaps it would be interesting to see what you thought once clarification had been made. Which you have done....thanks.

BaZmO* wrote:

Tribute = Love In?

Ok. If you want it to be that than so be it.

For what its worth I think that a tribute can also include some lows as well as highs for the subject in question and still count as a tribute. If it gives only a glossy, sanitised slant then it enters into the realms of love in. Not a Oxford dictionary defeintion perhaps, but may clarify my view, and my original comments re ferguson.

BaZmO* wrote:

But if that is the case why did he have to ask the OP what was the point of the thread if it was that glaringly obvious?

Wouldn't persume to answer on somebody else's behalf.

wheres me jumpa

Nunu wrote:

I'm not positive about this, but I think the remark was about an official at Rangers in his time there. I remember Ferguson saying it in a programme about himself a few years ago. Ferguson basically described the guy as a bigot who made his life a misery and ran him out of the club just because he was married to a catholic girl.

I hope I haven't got that horribly wrong but that's how I remember it.:o
I'll have a quick scan through his biography later and see if it's mentioned anywhere.....

Edit: The guys name was Willie Allison - P. R. officer at Rangers. The qoute referred to is: 'Willie Allison had stopped to tell me he had cancer. I know it is a terrible thing to say, but I did not have a crumb of pity for him.'
Pg 105 Alex Ferguson: Managing My life.

Good fine Nunu

mike65

Fair play to him - the b'stard!

While the jury is out on the current team building excercise the previous 3 have done exceptionaly well.

The only blot on his CV has to be failure to turn Prem domination into European domination, one Champions League and a Cup Winners Cup (a "fun" competition!) is not a reflection of the quality of the players he's managed.

Mike.

Jivin Turkey

mike65 wrote:

The only blot on his CV has to be failure to turn Prem domination into European domination, one Champions League and a Cup Winners Cup (a "fun" competition!) is not a reflection of the quality of the players he's managed.

I fully agree with this as being the thing keeping him away from the "without doubt the best ever" tag, but to be fair he managed probably his best sides at a time when English football was still in a transitional time in terms of playing in Europe.

It took years after the European ban for the English teams to really come to terms with how European football had developed in their absence.

The Muppet

Jivin Turkey wrote:

I fully agree with this as being the thing keeping him away from the "without doubt the best ever" tag, but to be fair he managed probably his best sides at a time when English football was still in a transitional time in terms of playing in Europe.

It took years after the European ban for the English teams to really come to terms with how European football had developed in their absence.

Thats very true and even when they did get back in they could not play their stongest team because of the 4(?) foreigners rule.

I dont think you're comparing like with like when you compare the champions league with the European cup. The Champions League in its present format with the top teams from the top leagues is a lot harder to win than the European cup was which just had the top team from every league.

I also believe some fans put too much emphasis on European competition. For me the League has always been the most important one. I would much rather United win that this and every season than the Champions league though both would be nice.

kinaldo

The Muppet wrote:

I would much rather United win that this and every season than the Champions league though both would be nice.

It's interesting to compare the English mentality to that of Real Madrid. Their priority and obsession has always been the European Cup and everything else is secondary. However, one is not always enough as Jupp Heynckes in 1998 and Vicente Del Bosque in 2003 will attest.

bucks73

Im the same. Priority is the league...this season anyway.

besty

Fergie, what can I say that hasn't already been said? I almost feel like I know the man and he's a part of my life. He is synonymous with United and United is synonymous with him. Although even the staunchest United fans would say that they stand by him through thick and thin, the way he has clawed his way back from the waves of abuse 3 years ago is really remarkable. His portfolio of success is astonishing and if he manages to claim the Premiership this year, I feel it will be his greatest ever achievement. I really hope he manages to land one more European Cup to satisfy some of his undeniable quality and drive!

homerjay2005

with a bit of luck, he could have won another 1 or 2 champions leagues, thinking about 97 (dortmund) and 2002(leverkusen) in particluar, even loosing to porto in the last minute 2004 and then they went on and won it, were years where luck deserted him. and before ye say it, other years we just were not good enough, the last 2 spring to mind for one, likewise 2001 hammered by bayern, and monaco was a low in 1998. hope he gets one more crack at it before he retires. fergie is a legend.....

kinaldo

homerjay2005 wrote:

with a bit of luck, he could have won another 1 or 2 champions leagues, thinking about 97 (dortmund) and 2002(leverkusen) in particluar, even loosing to porto in the last minute 2004 and then they went on and won it, were years where luck deserted him. and before ye say it, other years we just were not good enough, the last 2 spring to mind for one, likewise 2001 hammered by bayern, and monaco was a low in 1998. hope he gets one more crack at it before he retires. fergie is a legend.....

Woah, don't get too carried away there! I think he got that bit of luck and more in the 1999 final. Even if they had overcome Dortmund and Leverkusen, superior teams in the form of Juventus and Real Madrid would most likely have beaten them. In fact Juve did beat manage to beat them, twice, the year they lost to Dortmund.