Manchester United are set to unveil a statue of current manager Sir Alex Ferguson outside Old Trafford on November 23 before the Premier League match against Queens Park Rangers.
Ferguson is about to complete his 26th year in charge of the club, here are five reasons for his longevity.
Passion
No one person could manage a football club for 26 years if they did not genuinely enjoy what they were doing and have a passion for the club they were in charge of. Sir Alex Ferguson was originally meant to retire back in 1999 after his United side completed the rare treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. His passion alone has kept him going for another 13 years.
Success
No one can argue with the success that Ferguson has had during his time with the club. His managerial honours include 12 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 10 Community Shields, 2 Champions Leagues, 1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. It’s fair to say that had he not had this success he may have been sacked some decades ago.
Support
The supporters have always given Fergie their full backing and this has allowed him to stay in the job. Had the fans started protesting against the Scot, at any point during his reign, then it could well have forced the hand of the powers that be behind the scenes at Old Trafford. The supporters have always trusted him and he has remained in power because of it.
Methods
Ferguson has proven that his methods work time and time again and this applies to his methods on and off the pitch. He knows how to build successful title winning teams which he has done throughout his career at Manchester United. This has been important in the years where United have not managed to win a trophy, the past and Fergie’s methods have always turned out to be correct so the board and the supporters will take the odd year without a trophy.
Man Management and Respect
Ferguson is a very good man manager when it comes to dealing with his players. He has never let any over egotistical player settle in at the club and he has moved them on before they have had any impact on the rest of the squad, regardless of how good they are. He has the ability to get players to respect him whole heartedly and this goes a long way to ensuring that those players perform at their very best for him on a weekly basis.
image: © tomjoad
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
